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