Letting Go of Control- Part 3

       You do not realize the seriousness of the opportunity you give the enemy(Eph. 4:27)   as you indulge your own desires and the lust of the flesh. You have given him a 'place' to torment you and keep you stuck; it’s another place that you try to control- it is not submitted to Me.  

          It does not affect My love for you, but it does affect our relationship. Perfect love casts out all fear(1 John 4:18); let Me love you perfectly.  Do not grieve My Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:30)  Do not keep Me from all that I want to do in your life.  You are essentially choosing 'this' over My blessings, the many gifts that I want to give you.   Will you believe?  You choose to not hear so that you won’t have to decide if it’s real or not and can go right on your way and relax and wait and dream of how you want Me to use you.  

Stop dreaming, and be used.   Let Me have My way and make you a 'fit' vessel. 

      "My yoke is easy" (comfortable or pleasant) "and My burden is light." (Matt. 11:29)  You are by default choosing the harder way.  "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24)  Try Me out and see the consequences of obedience.  Know Me and serve Me with a whole heart and a willing mind; for I search all hearts, and understand every intent of the the thought.  If you seek Me, I will let you find Me.(1 Chronicles 28:9)  Had I "told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more then, when" I say............(from 2 Kings 5:13)...  

In listening to the Lord, what instruction will you choose today to radically obey? 

     Wash and be clean- let go of your control and idols- don't forfeit the miracle. 
"Little children, guard yourselves from idols."  1 John 5:21

Letting Go of Control Part 2 (of 3)

       Could your present 'resistance to something God has spoken' be a problem with 'control issues'?  We are all plagued with them, and serving and ‘doing’ for Him are things that we 'feel' we can control.   Would you find, if you honestly contemplated it with a 'search me and know me' attitude of prayer, that there are times when you find it hard to allow Him any control in this relationship?

Hear His quiet whisper, 'Do you trust Me, My child?"

    See this thing that you hold in your right hand (this thing that you think you are in control of, but is actually cutting off your life)-see it for what it is- a lie. (Isaiah 44:20b) And bring it before Him right now.  It may feel comfortable and necessary (and even like where you want to stay), but it is not. It is a lie; it cannot keep you safe.  Allow Him to be your Stronghold.  You cannot control your life and live anywhere near the abundant life that you long to live and that He desires for you to live.  Open your grip and release it -letting go of even GOOD things and 'neutral' things that are okay for everyone else, but just do not work with what He is particularly doing with you, as an individual, at this moment of time.   LET GO OF THE GOOD SO THAT YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GRAB HOLD OF THE BETTER. 

Ephesians 4:26,27 (Amplified) says... "do not sin"......"Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil- give no opportunity to him." That word, opportunity- topos in the Greek, means place.  "Place.  As occupied or filled by any person or thing, a spot, space, room.  In Luke 14:9, to give place to someone means to make room.  See Rom. 12:19; Eph.4:27." (direct quote from Zodihiates Complete Word Study Dictionary).

      How serious are you?  Do you really want to be free? Are you serious enough to close up the place, that opportunity that you give the enemy of your soul?  No sin is 'small sin'.  And even "...to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17

      So what is it that YOU are working hard at 'controlling' for yourself? What 'quiet', or not so quiet, instruction of God have you been resisting?  If it's a quiet one, you may not even be fully aware of it; you just know that something is 'off' and that you need some Psalm 139:23,24 time before the Lord:

 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way."

Letting Go of Control Part 1

        Do you find that sometimes it is easier 'to serve God and do for Him' (which is good) than it is to sit at His feet in prayer, to seek His face, and quietly listen to Him (which is better)? 

        Are you afraid of what He might say to you? Has He already given you instructions that you are currently resisting?   Maybe He has asked you to do some hard thing that is outside of your comfort zone, or something that you don't fully understand the reason behind the instruction, so you’ve unconsciously decided that you just won’t listen for awhile- maybe that thing will go away because ‘surely He wasn’t really asking me to do that'.  Or has He asked you to give up something that, until He asked, you never knew meant so much to you?

Oh, that age old question, 'Hath God really said?'  

      There was a leper who didn’t like Elisha’s instructions to be healed.  He was told to go and wash in the river seven times (2 Kings 5).  Naaman was furious because he had different expectations and other rivers were better- could he not wash in them?  He wanted to do it his own way.  The means of being healed weren’t up to par for him so he had a choice, would he go- would he obey? 

       His servant said something very profound “..had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

       Do we not, in a sense, have this same response?  We come to God for help, to hear His instructions, and instead of hearing some 'great thing', we hear, 'Wash and be clean'- 'let go of your control and idols'- and in response, we decide to close our ears and to work harder.

      Did the leper really want to be healed, enough that he would do what he’d rather not do or didn’t understand?  Or would he forfeit the miracle?  Naaman washed "according to the word of the man of God", and "his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.”  And he responded, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel…”  

      There is no other god, no idol, no comfort, none of your own ideas of how you want things to go- there is nothing- worth missing all that God is.

 Oh may we not forfeit the miracle.  Choose to believe and obey His instructions.​ You know that it's Him because it won't go away.  Listen to Him, obey, even though you don't understand, and expectantly watch for the consequences of that obedience.

The Consequences of Our Obedience

      There is not a single 'useless' step of obedience.  No matter how small and insignificant it may seem or how big and impossible, be assured of this: anything that God calls us to do will not be wasted or inconsequential.  

     There are consequences to our obedience.  

We usually only think of this idea in the negative connotation and agree, 'Yes, there are consequences to disobedience'. 

     Yet because He has a plan and a reason for even the simplest of instructions, there WILL be consequences as you obey- consequences for you and probably many others whom you may never even know your life touches.  

Trust Him. 

     No call of His is purposeless, and there is never a WASTED step of obedience!  Never.  Not one little step.

So step out in faith in your big God and allow Him to quiet all of your fears in His mighty love.

     Destroy the speculations (what if this.... or what if that...) and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God (‘well, I know that He’s been faithful before, but what if this time…..’)-  destroy all those lofty FEARS and ‘shakings’ that are raised up against your real knowledge of Who He is and has promised to be, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

     As those FEARS raise themselves up, immerse yourself in His Word.  As you see Him in His Power in His Word, He will get BIGGER in your whole soul, and the fears will HAVE TO submit.  YOU SERVE A VERY BIG GOD!

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.."  2 Corinthians 10:3-5

     What is God purposefully asking you to do today? Not sure? Then ask Him and listen.  Submit to trusting Him and walking that thing out in real life.  Stop just contemplating obedience.  

 Obey.  And watch as the consequences unfold beyond anything you could 'think or imagine'.


"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  Amen." Ephesians 3:20,21

Would You Dance?

I have come to heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds.

I am intimately acquainted with all your ways: your joys, your fears, your insecurities, your strengths, and all your weaknesses- and I LOVE YOU!!

I created you. I love you, and I have a special calling on your life. 

 I have prepared good works for you that you should walk in them. 
Would you walk in them, My child?  
 Would you choose to believe in My love and choose to come along? 


“The winter is past, the rain is over and gone”, 
would you put it behind you

 and follow Me?

Would you dance?

Would you let Me lead you into the abundant life that I have especially, uniquely prepared for you?  Yes, you!!

Would you accept this personal invitation to take your seat at the banquet table, to partake of all that is rightfully yours as My child, and to overflow with living water to those around you?  Would you 'shine' to powerfully impact the world around you- with LIFE- “to open their eyes so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me”? (Acts 26:18) 

Yes, you- I want to use you.  And I can.

I want to heal up all the brokenness in you, the hopelessness and all the fear and fill you with hope and peace.

 Rejoice in Me always.  Be anxious for nothing; but by prayer,

 let your request be made known to Me-with thanksgiving. And My peace, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Would you dance?

As the Bride of Christ Lets Him Lead

 “My beloved responded and said to me,

‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,

And come along.

‘For behold, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

‘The flowers have already appeared in the land’

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,

And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,

And come along!’”

Song of Songs 2:10-12

 Imagine this scene:

        You enter a seemingly empty but magnificent grand ballroom, but then there He is. There is Jesus, dressed in His best, holding out His hand, awaiting yours, and saying, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along.”

     It’s an invitation just for you. 

     You arise, and your crimson garment immediately turns white as He takes your hand- the hand of His beloved bride.  He secures you in a gentle embrace, and together you begin ‘THE DANCE’. 
      
      He leads in a beautiful dance. All you must do is relax in His loving arms and LET HIM LEAD.  

        With your eyes fixed on Him, all of your invisible defenses, all your sense of failure and shame, and all the subtle sin that has held you in its snare for far too long, just fall to the ground around your feet as if you have just shed old skin.  And you leave it behind as you dance along. 

     It’s a dance of life and love and abundance, and it is all His leading.  Amazed at how easy and effortless it seems because you don’t know how to DO this, you stand in awe of HIM.  What a gentleman!  And when your feet get all blistered and tired, He picks you up and cradles you in His arms and keeps dancing. 

     Oh, to follow His lead through this unpredictable life- to follow Him through the good and through the fiery trials- as "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12.  Oh, to stay there in His arms of love and power and take refuge there and not run away and head for cover.

“In repentance (returning) and rest you shall be saved,

In quietness and trust is your strength.”

But you were not willing,

And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,”

Therefore you shall flee!

“And we will ride on swift horses,”

Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.”

Isaiah 30:15, 16

     Do not be one who is unwilling.  There is no escaping.  But there is peace in our Savior’s loving arms.  We are a people who want to be DOING something.  Repentance, rest, quietness, and trust just seem a little too simple and not enough.  So we begin to take the lead in the dance and direct the next step and then the next and the next until we look around and find that we’ve stepped off that ballroom floor. Without even realizing it, we have taken ourselves out of the dance, and we long to be back there.  

       He is waiting with outstretched arms, saying, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one and come along!”

“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,

And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.

For the LORD is a God of justice;

How blessed are all those who long (wait) for Him.”

Isaiah 30:18

     How He longs to be ENOUGH- 
                              to truly be all you want and need because He IS all you need.

(Spend some time meditating on Psalm 91.  "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!...under His wings you may seek refuge;  His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.")

Sit with Me

“In repentance and rest is your salvation.”

Rest.

Pull away to be with Me.

Obey, even though it doesn’t make sense (as there seems to be no time to do it all).

I am the Maker of time.

Come and see if you are supposed to be 'doing it all'.
You can’t hear Me if you don’t slow down.
 It would not be running away from your responsibilities;
run to Me,

and I’ll have you right where you need to be.
 To be useful!

Sit with Me. 
 Trust Me.  
Don’t even think about yourself.
You don’t have to believe one iota in yourself or your abilities.

Believe in Me.

Prepare the way of the Lord.
 Make hearts yearn for Me and My Word
and obedience to it by your life-

that the King of Glory may come in.
Who is this king of Glory? 
The Lord- STRONG and MIGHTY, MIGHTY IN BATTLE, the Lord of Hosts.
He is the King of Glory.

There is a choice set before you today:
You can be busy doing all the 'right' things- what you feel you
should be involved in, what you should be a part of,
 or where you need to have influence -
 and risk the possibility of being spiritually shallow,
or 

in repentance (from the busyness of all this,

                          from the lack of feasting on the bread of life,

                                       and from prayerlessness)-

                 ...in repentance and REST- 

waiting, spending time in My word, obeying-

you can go deep in relationship and intimacy and depth

 and knowledge of Me and My word 

and have something (Me) 

to give as you influence those around you.

 “The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion we have with Him.” Oswald Chambers

You still wonder what you can possibly give up:
As you put Me first, you will see clearly the other priorities. 
 Like the blind man in Mark 8: 22-25, he did not see clearly at first either:

“And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him.  He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’  And he looked up (gained sight) and said, ‘I see men, for I see them (they look to me) like trees, walking around.’  Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.”

The picture is a little fuzzy right now, but as you spend time with Me, you will see this picture clearly- it won’t look like trees walking around.

        As you, too, look intently into My face in prayer and into My word, you will be restored and begin to see everything clearly. Don't settle for just seeing 'men like trees, walking around'!  Press in; excel still more.  

.... fixing our eyes on (looking to) Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, ....so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.