A Big Life for His Glory

Do we serve a Big God, but live a little life?

Jeremiah 32:17 says,“Ah Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You..”

And then ten verses later Jeremiah 32:27 says,“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”

 

 But in between these two great faith inspiring verses sits this sobering thought: Jeremiah 32:21-23 “You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; ……”

What a sad commentary.  He blessed them abundantly; how could they not, in thankfulness to God, commit to serve and obey Him?

     Yet, what about us?  God has brought us, as His children, out of our pits and out of our bondage with His great miraculous power, with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm and has placed us in a land of plenty:

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..” Ephesians 2:1-6

         He has taken us out of our 'Egypt'. He has given us a new heart, a new life. We are new creatures in Christ.  We have such a great salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit within us, along with everything we need for life and godliness.  He has blessed us abundantly with spiritual gifts so that we can live abundantly and do the good works that He has planned beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10).  And we come into this new life with Christ and take possession of it and just expect to live off the milk and honey of this ‘land’.  We come in and take possession and then decide to walk our own way, sowing seeds to the flesh and indulgences, instead of obeying His voice and laying down our lives as a living sacrifice and living out all that He has put in.

            We take possession of the home, neighborhood, community in which He has placed us and enjoy it, but do not fully obey all that He has for us to do here and, therefore, never fully possess our possession. Let it NOT be said of us…. 'They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; ……'

He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” John 14:21

 What about us? 
Are we living off the spoil of the land and yet walking our own way?
 Or are we daily taking up our cross and choosing real life
 by loving the Lord our God,
obeying His voice,
and holding fast to Him:
the God of the impossible! 

(Deuteronomy 30:19,20; Matthew 19:26)

May we live big lives FOR HIS GLORY!

He is able. 

 

Do Not Be Discouraged

Do not be discouraged. Fix your eyes upon Me, and see if I do not pour forth faith that moves mountains.

        To not be discouraged, we will have to look away from all that surrounds us that is so discouraging in this world, and continually and habitually (which is the tense of that verb in Hebrews 12:2) look to Him. As we focus on Him: His truth, omnipotency, faithfulness, lovingkindness, and His promises in His Word, and as we are reminded of just how big and able He truly is, He will pour forth faith, even in the places where we are tempted to be discouraged and to fear.

       He is THE Almighty. You may lay your burden down at His feet to carry for you and to accomplish what concerns you this very day, and in the days to come. He is ABLE to make you to walk on your high places and to make you to walk in confidence in what He is able to do and confidence in your security in His loving care for your plight. He is intimately acquainted with all of your ways and all of your cares and concerns. 

      Do not fear, even 'though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea' (Psalm 46:1). In other words no matter what, you need not fear, for He is with you. He holds you, cares for you, and is your great support. You are not, and never will be, forsaken. He is able, even in the midst of 'impossibilities'.

       Do not be overcome by any bad report to the point of despondency or paralyzing fear. Like Abraham, who without becoming weak in faith contemplated the true situation (that his body was as good as dead) "yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform" (Rom 4:17-22), hear the report, consider the truth of the message/the reality, but be fully assured that God can and will do what He has said He will do. Take courage; take as He gives.

And like Nehemiah at the report of ovewhelming, discouraging news, bring it before God in prayer and obey what He tells you to do. Pray and see how He may even use you. Nehemiah had no place to be of any help to the people of Jerusalem, or to be any answer to his own prayer, yet God used him as part of the solution.

Nehemiah is a 'power of one' example. He didn't just hear the bad report about the state of his people, that they were in great distress and reproach and unprotected because the walls of Jerusalem were down, and lament saying, 'It's all over and hopeless." Instead, even though he was in NO position to do anything about it (he was probably approximately a two months journey away from the problem, 600 miles away serving as cupbearer to Artazerxes), he prayed with a broken heart over the state of the people. In answer to those prayers, he eventually found himself orchestrating and overseeing the rebuilding of the broken down walls.

But that rebuilding began with a broken heart and prayer and the power of ONE heart on fire and dismayed at the conditions that God's chosen people were living in, leaving themselves is disarray and unprotected.

If your heart is currently broken over discouraging news, take the encouragement of 'the power of one' message of Nehemiah's life, who built up a team and allowed God to accomplish the impossible through them 'suddenly'. (The walls had been down 141 years, and Nehemiah and the people completed the walls in 52 days after starting the work.)

"...for The LORD is not restrained to save by many or few." 1 Samuel 14:6

Don't settle for the 'truth' of the bad report. But in prayer, seek for His truth, His direction, and watch Him use even you to 'produce change'- to bring about the change that you are tempted to even give up hope for.

 Do not be discouraged. Look to Him and see if He does not pour forth mountain moving faith.

Sun and Stars

I call forth the sun to shine  

And the stars to display their beauty, as each is revealed in the night sky.

Day and night has its own beauty.

Some beauty only revealed in the sunshine, and others only seen in the dark.

Seasons change. 

There is day and there is night,

 So that you may see different aspects of My beauty and love and grandeur.

Do not be afraid of the dark.

Darkness will come, but look up!

 Fix your eyes on Me, the Author and Perfector of your faith.
Eyes on Me.

Though the earth should change and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, 

you need not fear.  

I am a very present help in trouble. (Ps.46:2)

 My love for you is unfailing.

 Look 'there' (at My great love for you). 
 Trust 'there', 'eyes on Me', and cling to hope. 
You will hope once again.

Great light will shine forth in darkness. 

Allow Me to shine brightly through you and dispel darkness.  It need not overtake you.

As the world cries out in essence 'the sky is falling, the sky is falling' in fear, 

My people will have a quiet confidence in Me, that I will give.  

Take it. I am your refuge and strength, but you must take it to have it.  

Cling to My Word and My Promises. 

The world is continually trying to 'make crooked the straight ways of the Lord' (Acts 13:10), but the world does not change My ways.  

No matter how many times they may change their opinion,

 My Word stands true and unchanging and CONSTANT.  

Be a lighthouse, immovable, showing THE WAY, 

warning others as they navigate dangerous waters.  

Let your light shine, showing, 'This is the ROCK, this is solid ground'  

and warning them to navigate carefully as His word is unmovable and irrevocable.  

I cause storms, and I am able to make them perfectly calm (Ps 107:25,29).  

Be those who hear and DO the Word, that your house may stand (Matt. 7:24).  

Be ready to give an answer for the hope that you have in the midst of the storm. 

They will see a great light. Let it be Me. 

Shine for My glory, that they too may glorify My name.

A Broad Place

"He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters. 
He delivered me from my strong enemy, 
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
He also brought me forth into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me....

For You are my lamp, O LORD;
And the LORD illumines my darkness.
For by You I can run upon a troop (crush a troop);
By my God I can leap over a wall."1

You are an overcomer of the enemy, and no wall, even those you put up yourself, need ever keep you bound.  

You are "free".  It is for freedom that you have been set free (Galations 5:1); therefore, run, skip, rejoice in that broad, broad place. 

Claim your freedom and be free to 'walk the ground' and take possession of all that has been freely given to you.

  Scour the Word for the truth of what has been given and the authority that you have in Christ and claim it and use it.  You have already been fully enabled to use it effectively. Therefore put it into practice by faith.  

"As for God, His way is blameless;

The word of the LORD is tested;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God, besides the LORD?

And who is a rock, besides our God?

God is my strong fortress;

And He sets (free) the blameless in His way.

He makes my feet like hinds' feet,

And sets me on my high places.

He trains my hands for battle, 

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,

And Your help makes me great.

You enlarge my steps under me,

And my feet have not slipped."2

"From my distress I called upon the LORD;

The LORD answered me and set me in a large place.

The LORD is for me; I will not fear;"3

What seemingly insurmountable obstacle (walls) are you currently facing?  Take courage and His help and live free.  Jesus came that you "may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10  Choose life.

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." 2 Peter 1:2,3

1 2 Samuel 22:17-20

2 2 Samuel 22:29-37

3 Psalm 118:5

(I encourage you to read and meditate on all of  2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18, where David repeats it).

Hear the Call and Respond in Faith

"My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed, but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless courage."  Phil 1:20 (Moffat)

              Let us hear His call,

                              take His courage, 

                                       and respond by walking in those good works, 

which He prepared beforehand (Eph. 2:10) and are beyond all that we could ask or think, according to the power that works within us (Eph. 3:20). 

"Do not be afraid of sudden fear

Nor of the onslaught (storm) of the wicked when it comes; 

For the Lord will be your confidence (at your side)..."  Prov. 3:25,26a

Be strengthened in His love to say, "If this is You calling, be my bold confidence, strengthen me to walk in faith, and make me to walk (not to stand in terror) on my high places. If this of You, command me to 'come'."

"On the day I called, You answered me; 

You made me bold with strength in my soul." Psalm 138:3

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word." 2 Thess. 2:16,17

Hear the call and respond in faith.

"And He said, 'Come!' 

And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus." Matthew 14:29

 May that be part of our story too.

He is My Personal Bravery

“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army;

 He makes my feet like hind’s feet and will make me to walk

 (not to stand in terror, but to walk) and make (spiritual) progress 

upon my high places (of trouble, suffering, or responsibility)!” 

Habakkuk 3:19 Amplified Bible

       All-powerful, Almighty God, call to us, “Come!”  You, Who spoke and everything came into being, we invite You to speak into our lives today.  And give us ears to hear the One True Voice.  Call us to come out of our comfort zones and controlling strongholds.  We confess that these thoughts that 'try to keep You controllable' are lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God; they are not truth.  Convict us and help us to take these thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).  Forgive us and change us in those areas of our lives where You want to be big and mighty in us ('to walk on water'), but because of our unbelief or sin or fear, You are not able to work through us.

            We ask for your forgiveness, and we lay down all that we bow to, that is not of You- all the 'must do’s' to be worthy 'to walk on water', all of our own will, all the fears (as we look around and see the circumstances that 'feel' more real than Your truth), and all our limited expectations of what You are able to do, how You act, or how You 'should' behave.  Lord, be free to move in our lives, in Your way.

And command us to 'come to You on the water' in whatever miraculous way You have planned for each and every one of our lives. 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10

You are all-powerful.  You are able to enable me to do whatever You want 
IF I will let you, 

IF I will say ‘no’ to my own will and ‘yes’ to You, IF I will let you use me. IF I will say, 

"Yes, Lord.  For the sake of Your Name and for Your glory,

do with me whatever You want to do.  I will no longer dictate to You."

Church, let us no longer just say 'Yes', but let us DO 'YES'. 

         Do not allow the fear of what you 'can't' do (or what you want to do instead) keep you bound from obeying whatever He commands.  Hear His call and do not stand in terror, but walk on your high places, as He is your Strength, your personal bravery, and your invincible army even on those high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility.  How many of us, and those around us, are feeling the weight of any one (or all three) of those, especially in the area of heavy responsibility?

May we see and KNOW Who He truly and fully IS.

“When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.  And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 
                                   ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’” Matt. 14:32,33

Trust in the Lord

         Sadly, for most of us, if we were Peter walking on the water, the fear of what the others in the boat ‘think’ would rival the fear of the wind and the waves. 

         Don’t we step out, experience a little victory, and then find ourselves terrified as we are reminded that we CAN’T walk on water?  We begin to fear failure and concern ourselves with, or even worry about, what everyone else thinks- bad OR good.

          Are we comfortable walking on our high places, walking in the victory that we have in the power of Christ, or do we worry about how those who know us must be thinking, ‘Who do they think they are'?, 'Why do they think they’re so special to walk on water?', 
              or ‘They CAN’T do this’? 

                                And we quickly agree and begin to sink.  
What a great ploy of the enemy! May we not be unaware of his schemes. 2 Cor. 2:11

             What will it take for us to step out of the boat when He commands us to come?  And what will it take for us to KEEP WALKING in what Jesus is clearly calling us to, UNASHAMED and unfrightened by the circumstances around us and unhindered by anyone else's doubts? 

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and trust in Him alone. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”  2 Timothy 1:7

Look to Him, the author and perfector of our faith,
               and continue to walk in the victory He died to give us-  

                  walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and not in our flesh and its fears.

Let us not focus on what others think about us and the progress that we are making on our high places,

                            BUT may we care very much about what our Heavenly Father thinks and knows about that progress. May we listen to His truth alone and trust Him.  

Care what He thinks and knows and says is true about you, bad (what needs to be changed for your good and His glory) and good (what He says is true of you in Him).

"The fear of man brings (gives) a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted."  Proverbs 29:25

And IF it is You, ‘Command me to.........',

                 ...and You will allow me to walk on my high places.

Lord, what would YOU have me do?  You must do the calling, as I trust that with Your call comes your divine enablement.

Command Me to Come

Matthew 14:26-33

“When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’  And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’” 

“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to you on the water.’”

If- he is still not sure, completely convinced- so Lord, IF it is You, command me and enable me to do what only You can do!  Lord, You ask, and I will trust that you will enable me, but I’m not going to try on my own.  You make the command: “Command me to come..”

“And He said, ‘Come!’"

 And Peter was enabled to do something that he could never have done on his own.  He was able because the Lord did the bidding and Peter responded to that command.  He walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

(Our obedience to His word and His command will always take us closer to Jesus. Be careful if in anything you 'think' you are walking in obedience yet find that it is not taking you closer to Jesus' heart.)

BUT

Seeing the wind

(Oh, that 'sight' thing, taking his focus off of Jesus and putting it on the circumstances.  "..for we walk by faith, not by sight (appearance)." 2 Cor. 5:7),

he (results): - became frightened and

                    - beginning to sink,

                                          he cried out (he did the right thing!) “Lord save me!”

“Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?'”

(Right there Jesus gives us the reason Peter did not continue walking on his high places in the midst of the storm and why we sink as well:  DOUBT.)

          Lord, whatever You want me to do, command me because I know with Your command, comes Your enabling.  But do not let me step out on my own. 

 I don’t want to live a life of little faith and much doubt.  Lord make me faithful to take the steps of obedience and keep my eyes on You and not the surrounding circumstances, as they are almost always discouraging to my steps of faith.  Protect me from unbelief and doubt.

On the ground of your word, I will do as You say.  Luke 5:5 see also Excel Still More: I Will Do As You Say: Part 5

It Is I; Do Not Be Afraid

“When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’  And they cried out in fear.” Matthew 14:26

            It may not be something as dramatic as seeing Jesus walking on water, but how many times has this scene been played out in our lives.  He shows Himself BIG (bigger than the little box that we have put Him in), and we allow it to scare us.  Or He doesn’t work in our lives according to OUR plans, and it strikes terror and complete panic within us.

 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’” Matthew 14:27

I must take courage and realize that even though I may not understand what He’s doing and may question His ways while I’m in the midst of fearful circumstances, He is still the same Jesus that I know and love and trust with my life and open my ears to hear Him say, ‘It is I; do not be afraid’ and take my courage from Him.

Crucified With Christ

 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Gal 2:20

          We can become so familiar with those words that we lose all spiritual sight of the weight of that statement. The Lord our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6) gave Himself up for me! 
     “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us”...

  -gave Himself so that we could go on and live however we desire in this present age?!! No! gave Himself for us-

“to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.  Let no one disregard you.” Titus 2:11-15

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.  Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Romans 6:5,6,7     No longer a slave to sin; live as a free man.  It was for freedom that you have been set free. Gal 5:1  Oh, what good, beautiful news. May we LIVE in the light of that TRUTH and speak and share it.

Oswald Chambers1 
"...he (Paul) does not say, 'I have determined to imitate Jesus Christ,' or, 'I will endeavour to follow Him; - but- ' I have been identified with Him in His death.'  When I come to such a moral decision and act upon it, then all that Christ wrought for me on the Cross is wrought in me.  The free committal of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the chance to impart to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.
         '....Nevertheless I live...'  The individuality remains, but the mainspring, the ruling disposition, is radically altered.  The same human body remains, but the old satanic right to myself is destroyed.
          'And the life which I now live in the flesh..,' not the life which I long to live and pray to live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, 'I live by the faith of the Son of God.'  This faith is not Paul's faith in Jesus Chris, but the faith that the Son of God has imparted to him-- 'the faith of the Son of God.'  It is no longer faith in faith, but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the son of God."

"But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."  1 Cor.. 1:30 

Oh Lord, thank you for rescuing us from the domain of darkness and transferring us to Your kingdom, in whom we have the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13,14).  We pray for many eyes to be opened to Your truth.  We pray that you would send out workers into Your harvest (Matt. 9:36-38) and that we ourselves would take up Your call-

"...to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."          Acts 26:17b,18  

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,2 even to the end of the age."          Matt. 28:19,20

May we not respond, 'Who am I?  I can't,'
         but humbly say "Here am I.  Send me."

1 My Utmost for His Highest: March 21

2 see also Excel Still More: I Will Be With You

Do Not Steal His Glory

Let us confess that apart from Him, we can do nothing!

Let us not steal glory that belongs to God and to Him alone.  
We, without Him, can do nothing.

Where then is boasting?  It is excluded.

Let us not boast in ourselves or how He can use us- 
rather let us boast that He can use us. 
Because with Him, all things are possible!

Oh, that our focus and motivation may all be on Him and for His glory. 

       “Am I becoming more and more in love with God as a holy God, or with the conception of an amiable Being who says, 'Oh well, sin doesn’t matter much'?  God never coerces, neither does He ever accommodate His demands to human compromise, and we are disloyal to Him if we do……Nothing can hinder God’s purpose in a personal life but the person himself…… It is extraordinary how things fall off from a man like autumn leaves once he comes to the place where there is no rule but that of personal domination of the Holy Spirit.”   Oswald Chambers

      

        Be (being) filled1- Eph 5:18- personally dominated by the Holy Spirit and abandoning all to Him, let Him lead.  Asking Him to empty you of yourself and to fill you to overflowing with His Spirit, follow close. He will lead you on level ground and enable you to walk on your high places as you seek Him first. Be in the Word and in prayer to hear your daily assignment and to partake of your daily sustaining bread.

He will lead you and guide you for His name’s sake and for His glory. (Psalm 31:3)

1 "Be filled"  Pres. imp. pass. "The idea of the word is 'control.'  The indwelling Spirit of God is the one who should continually control and dominate the life of the believer..  The present calls for a habitual and continuing action. Passive could be permissive pass.; "allow yourselves to be...:". This is further supported by imperative (command)."  From The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament.  Rogers and Rogers.

Dream Big! (We Choose- Part 2)

          Your big dream may happen in the prayer closet where no one on this earth sees, but your Heavenly Father does and will reward you (Matt. 6:6).  You may make a huge mark on this world because you have been called to a ministry of secret prayer.  It does not matter if anyone knows about you on this earth; you can be a HUGE success and fulfill your dream without a single person on this earth being aware or impressed with you.  

      As you dream big, think of the everyday dreams: dreams to walk in holiness and sincerity of heart, authenticity, integrity,  to walk in love in your relationships with your God, your spouse, children, friends, dreams to love Him and His Word more each day and to be faithful in prayer.  Are these in accordance to His will that you walk in them?  Yes. So He will enable you to walk on these heights in victory, as you take each step in obedience to His word.

He will make your feet like hinds' feet and set you upon your high places.  His right hand will uphold you, and He will enlarge your steps under you that your feet will not slip.  (Psalm 18:33-36)

        If You are for me and work all things according to my good, to conform me into the image of Your Son (and I do want to be conformed! Yes Lord), and if I am obedient and faithful to do what You have asked and am able to stand before You one day and say that I have done the good works that You had planned for me to do (Eph. 2:10), that I did not back off in fear or unbelief or give in to my desire to live a comfortable life, no matter the results that I may see or not, that is a success!

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."  John 14:12

You cannot outdream God.

Dream big!

We Choose

 “For You are my rock and my fortress;

  For Your name’s sake You will

         lead me and guide me.”  Psalm 31:3

The possibilities for the child of God are beyond

                            all that we dare ask or think.  Ephesians 3:20,21

              We are the ones who tend to limit ourselves. In this sense, we choose how much we will allow God to do in our lives, the ways we will allow Him to use us, and the areas we will have victory in.  He is for us and ready and willing to do abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine and will enable us to do everything that He has called us to do.  Will we believe that He is more able than our own inability? 

         Dream big. Yes, think of all the big 'dreams', the ones that make your heart fly as you are in quiet communion with Him.  If the dream is from Him, He will be faithful to fulfill it. With the call, comes the almighty power of the very God Who spoke and everything came into being.  Our disbelief that we could possibly do 'such a thing' honestly says more about our trust in God than our belief about ourselves, for His word is full of all that He will enable us and equip us to do. 

           It is in our weakness that He is strong.  We must choose to take the steps of faith and try Him out and find Him faithful, faithful even to teach us through what the world would call failure.  When we step out, we are responsible for each step of obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit, and He is responsible for the outcome.  So good or bad outcome, or seemingly no outcome, that is God’s business, not ours.  We are successful in the obedience.

“True obedience is always successful.  It always accomplishes God’s will.".......    ........."If I have obeyed, that is enough.  I am successful.  Beyond that, it is God’s business.  If I insist on a happy, selfish outcome, then I am meddling.  The instant I obey, success is automatic- God’s success, not mine.  Therefore, obedience carries in itself its burst of praise.  I am jubilant, not because my ship has come in, but because it has gone out.  Maybe I will never see it again, but that is beside the point.  The point is, I have launched it unto God and now He is responsible.  So I praise God that He is working, and I rest in His activity.”       Glyn Evans from Daily with the King

       

       What is He calling you to do?  Have you taken that first step?  What about the next? We are safe in Him; He is our Rock and our fortress.  Let us not limit what God would do in our lives by our fear, by our desire for our own comfort, OR by our busyness.  Allowing Him to have His way in your life, choose to follow Him to do 'beyond'.

           Spend some time seeking Him on this issue, and He will lead you and guide you for His names’ sake (Psalm 31:3)

 "...it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  Philippians 2:13

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Choose the 'far more abundantly beyond'!

The Proper Working of Each Individual Part

“As for God, His way is blameless (complete, having integrity, perfect);

The word of the Lord is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God,

The God who girds me with strength

And makes my way blameless (complete, having integrity)?

He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,

And sets me upon my high places.

He trains my hands for battle,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,

And Your right hand upholds me;

And your gentleness1 (condescension) makes me great.

You enlarge my steps under me,

And my feet have not slipped.”

Psalm 18:30-36

                Nothing is impossible.  He makes you to walk on your high places.  He sets you on YOUR high places -your 'beyond', designed especially for you; He does not set you on someone else’s.  Look not to the right or to the left to see what He is doing with others, but look only to Him for your particular path and what He calls you to.  As you walk in obedience and dependence upon Him, you are able through His almighty strength.

          Imagine if we were all, as the universal body of Christ, walking on our high places, believing that God is able to do through us exactly what He is calling us to do. 
          Imagine if we were not just ‘dreaming’ about doing what He has put on our hearts to do, but if we were all walking it out in our everyday lives, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  
          Imagine if we all were living out that 'specific to us dream' that He has put on our heart, not attempting it in our own strength but obediently taking each step as He leads (not too fast-running ahead of Him and not too slow- falling behind in our potential in Christ).  

        What if we allow Him to lead us every step of the way, empowering each step to do things we never dreamed of being able to do- walking it out, not because we are able, but because He is able!!

                Think of all the big things that are in your heart (if He has put them there).  It is not prideful.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

    
 Now think of all of your excuses…..,

Think of what would happen if every child of God believed and used those excuses (because everyone could).  What would ever get done?  The body would be so sick.  Or is that why the body is so sick?!!

Will you step up and take your position?  Will you position yourself and fulfill your calling on this earth? 

 “..we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”  Ephesians 4:15,16

1 gentleness: patience, mildness, tenderness; characteristic of God that fosters growth. (Zodhiates. Word Study Dictionary)