”Do you trust Me?”
I was making my bed when I heard these words.
The Voice was ever so kind
and the exact opposite of
some other voices I’d been hearing.
Peace beckoned and it felt like
an open pair of arms.
It was a not-of-this-world
kind of Peace that defied logic
and wasn’t the norm
in my experience.
I knew in an instant that
The Voice was Jesus!
Immediately, I stopped working
and sank down to sit
on the edge of the mattress.
Turning that question
about in my mind
I clung to The Voice,
as well as the words,
and responded to Him
with an audible, ‘YES!”
“Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking.
If your heart is open to hear My voice
and you open the door within,
I will come in to you and feast with you,
and you will feast with Me.”
Revelation 3:20 TPT
I’d believed in GOD
ever since I was a kid.
I attended and served at church,
read daily devotionals
and prayed.
But I was falling way short
in a battle too fierce for me,
deeply oppressed by darkness,
in prison behind iron bars.
I was in my middle-aged years
and my life and my mind
were rapidly unraveling
to the point where I’d become
mostly dysfunctional
and no longer able to hide it.
All of my senses were
overwhelmed by fear, panic,
distrust and anxiety.
I was being crushed by the grip
of unjust things that had happened
to me in my past.
Swallowed alive by the pain,
I wallowed in bitter rage
and resentment.
It’s fairly safe to say
I didn’t understand much about Jesus
and/too perhaps I felt justified
in hanging onto and nursing
my feelings of unforgiveness.
For some reason it came
as a shock for me to realize
that I’d become a living example
of the parable Jesus told
of the Unforgiving Servant!
We literally break ourselves
on the Truth of GOD’S Word
when we choose to rebel
and follow our own way!
Contrary to popular opinion,
Absolute Truth DOES exist
and isn’t going to change!
It’s built on The Rock
and He will never fade
or go away!
Jesus explains:
“I am the Way,
I am the Truth,
and I am the Life.
No one comes next to the Father
except through union with Me.
To know Me is to know My Father too.
And from now on you will realize
that you have seen Him
and experienced Him.”
John 14:6-7 TPT
We become deaf and blind
in our hurts and in our wants.
All too often we choose
to justify both ourselves
and our own behavior.
Don’t be deceived!
Learn from what Jesus taught!
Learn from my mistake!
Nothing that you or I
could ever think or do
will ever negate
the Truth that will reign
forever and ever!
“Today I have given you
the choice between life and death,
between blessings and curses…”
Deuteronomy 30:19a NLT
The proofs of God’s Word
become proved in The Putting:
when we put GOD
and obedience to Him first,
we find ourselves immersed
in the Peace and Joy
of our Heavenly Father’s
blessing and favor.
When we choose to put our self
up on the pedestal
(following after the way
we prefer to think and feel)
we become oppressed by the curse,
inundated by shame, stress and misery.
“Oh, that you would choose life,
so that you and your descendants
might live! You can make this choice
by loving the LORD your GOD,
obeying Him, and committing yourself
firmly to Him.”
Deuteronomy 30:20 NLT
Satan all too often succeeds
by using smoke and mirrors
that pretty much amount
to the trick of reframing,
while at our very Core
GOD’S Truth remains.
I find it mightily evidential
not only as noted and observed
in my own personal life,
but as I gaze around at
the fall-out in
our self-centered culture,
and as seen in the greed and fear
driven, angry world, in general.
Simply put, disobedient people
hurt other people!
“You can make this choice
by loving the LORD your GOD,
obeying Him, and committing
yourself firmly to Him.
This is the key to your life.”
Deuteronomy 30:20 NLT
From the outset of my answer, “yes”,
I faced a long, arduous road to recovery
involving years of therapy and some really
difficult work on my part.
Remembering Jesus’ question that day
and the tremendous sense of Peace
I had experienced, I realized
He was truly watching over and with me
and the culmination of it all
filled me with a very
different type of commitment.
“Here’s what I want you to do:
Buy your gold from Me,
gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire.
Then you’ll be rich.
Buy your clothes from Me,
clothes designed in Heaven.
You’ve gone around
half-naked long enough.
And buy medicine for your eyes
from Me so you can see, really see.
The people I love, I call to account—
prod and correct and guide
so that they’ll live at their best.
Up on your feet, then!
About face!
Run after God!”
Revelation 3:18-19 MSG
In my full on pursuit of Jesus
I’ve found the strength
to forgive and let go of the past!
He has way better plans for my future!
I’m processing and dealing with things
in a much more beneficial way!
Jesus has been nothing but
merciful and generous!
His forgiveness and love
pull me up out of miry clay
and daily He helps me
to move forward in His Name!
That’s how come I ended up at this place
where I laid down all my treasures;
where all that I had been, currently was,
and ever hoped to be, got placed upon The Altar.
I no longer fester or need to understand
the why’s, what for’s and how’s.
I simply need to just trust Him!
He’s given me a brand new name
and a refreshed sense of purpose!
He’s continually filling my mind
and eye and ear with clearer views
of His Eternal perspective.
“Because you have kept the word of My endurance
[My command to persevere],
I will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial,
that hour which is about to come
on the whole [inhabited] world,
to test those who live on the earth.
I am coming quickly!
Hold tight what you have,
so that no one will distract
or take your crown
[by leading you to renounce the faith].”
Revelation 3:10-11 AMP
Growing up I had experienced
a lot of bullying and rejection
and I took refuge between the pages
of three books, purchased at school
thru the Weekly Reader book club.
As an adult I came to understand
that even when some bad
stuff was happening,
I was never once left alone,
nor had I ever been abandoned.
JESUS saw and heard it all,
had wept as I had wept;
had comforted me
when I felt alone
and been my defense
when I was scared.
He saw the dark hidey-hole
I hid my self in
when nobody else knew
where I’d gone.
He sewed and prepared
Gospel values in me
when I was yet too immature
to understand my Bible.
Thru the tougher parts
He was making me strong
and I was to find out
that nothing transpired
is ever wasted.
He worked thru the different
events in my younger life
to shape my heart
and also shape my Calling.
GOD creatively worked to
build a special bridge
to help me connect with both
Him and myself in my older age.
I share with you, now,
beloved, childhood hero’s
who became like friends to me
during dark days when I sought
to hide myself from reality.
I would sit and quietly
turn the pages,
becoming immersed
in their stories repeatedly;
I so loved and wanted
to emulate the collective of
their admirable characteristics.
Frederick, a little mouse,
was greatly misunderstood.
He wasn’t being lazy at all!
He was busy collecting
images and words
that he used to encourage
the other little mice
when it grew to be dead of winter…
…their supply of food had run out
and they were left facing the bitter cold
with their tummies empty.
He used what he’d collected
to paint pictures in their minds
of warmer, better days.
There’s a reference to four seasons
and how it takes all four of them
to bring about completion.
Imagine my delight and surprise
when at the ripe old age of 50+,
while sorting thru a donation
at church, Frederick and I
became reunited! Of course
you know I carried him home!
He was such a great reminder!
I collect all sorts of things, too,
to use in writing and speaking
encouragements to others.
In that I find that I’m
quite a bit like him!
Then there was Giant John.
An affable young fellow who
sets out on a journey in search of food
when there’s very little at home
and the cupboard’s fast becoming empty.
In his travels he meets the king and his family,
loves to serve them in a variety of helpful ways
but then becomes drawn into an uncontrollable,
destructive dance when a certain kind of music
is played by some magical faeries.
Having knocked down
the king’s castle
and doing damage
to everything around him…
…he creatively begins to rebuild
to the great joy of the king
and the king’s entire family!
In the end he returns home
with money earned to buy food
so both he and his mother can eat.
Yup, I fell for Satan’s trick
and danced the dance of destruction.
I’ve been rebuilding in a creative way
that looks a bit different
but my King has made
a promise to me that
it all will come out just
beautifully!
A kangaroo with a big heart!
She grieves because she’s not like the other ‘roos
for she has no pocket in which to carry her son.
She visits a host of other “pocketless” moms
to learn how they carry their young
in hopes of emulating their given success
but none of their ways
works for her and her little son, Freddy.
So off she hops towards the big City
to search out and find a workable remedy.
There, she meets a man who is
covered in pockets!
It’s his work apron and he uses it
to carry all his tools in.
Katy lays her paw on his arm
and asks him for help,
whereupon he takes off his own apron,
turns it upside down to shake all
the tools out…
…and then commences to tie
his own apron around Katy’s neck!
She is ever so very grateful
and so very, very happy!
After popping her son into
a front middle pocket,
she happily hops back home,
where she’s quick to share
the benefit of her new apron
with all the other moms and their kids!
I, too, collect and put folks in my “pockets”
for the purpose of praying for them
and communicating messages of hope
and a variety of encouragements!
I’ve been wondering how to share
this part of my story.
In the past decade (plus some)
I’ve been healed and delivered
from a long list of enemies
related to past repeated trauma
and my unwillingness to forgive.
The miseries of this becomes
completely turned upside down
as I purpose in my heart
to live my life as Jesus taught!
I can’t/and couldn’t ever do it apart
from the help given to me by Holy Spirit!
PTSD, OCD, anxiety,
an ill-formed auxiliary ego,
panic disorder, depression,
chronic nightmares,
insomnia and trichotillomania:
those are the loud voices
made silent now!
EVERY THANK YOU
AND PRAISE INSIDE OF ME
BELONGS TO JESUS!
Turns out the very best thing
I could have ever done
was to answer “yes”
when He asked,
‘Do you trust Me?’
To anyone who’s dealing with
a slew of difficult issues,
Know that GOD unequivocally loves you
thru the Immeasurable worth of His Son!
Don’t believe the lies that He doesn’t exist,
doesn’t see, doesn’t hear, doesn’t care!
He’s been for you from before
the day you were born!
How closely do you try
to follow His teachings and His words?
There’s an intimate language Designed
to be spoken between you both!
He specializes in every type of Restoration:
the return of a sound mind
and ease of ill physical symptoms!
Jesus works to bring about Healing that runs soul deep!
Christ’s love will triumph over all!
He’ll make you able to
Overcome any obstacle!
He has promised to restore
a double blessing for every trouble!
Entrust all of yourself to His tender care!
You’ll discover an abundance of tender mercies!
Godspeed to you as you continue on
in your own journey with Him!
There’s absolutely nothing
about your life that’s
too off putting or too complex,
that Jesus can’t Redeem!
I pray today that you, too,
will hear His quiet question…
“Do you trust Me?”
If you will, you won’t regret it!
He’s making the offer
specifically to you:
the daily grace of
A New Beginning!
Just the same
as He’s done for me!
This past weekend
I came across
these two reminders.
They were quite literally placed
directly in front of my feet!
To me they’re a visual
of all the above concepts,
the gifts that have been given
and the garment of adoration
and love.
Just one more thing before
finishing this post. This next semester
at our church plans are in the making
as I prepare to facilitate this study group
in our home.
GOD has created both you and me
to be victorious!
Take a closer look at His Word!
He doesn’t keep it a mystery!
He tells and shows us
exactly how
thru JESUS!
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,
and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God
and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem,
which comes down out of heaven from My God.
And I will write on him My new name.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3:12-13 NKJV