The other side of pain is purpose

Imagine for a moment that God is really working all things out for your good. That even in the midst of your trials and pain, He is allowing it to bring about a greater good. Maybe, there is purpose on the other side of pain. If we can change the way we view our struggles, does it make it less afflicting? 

Just know ~ the Lord does not waste a thing; all of our experiences, our trials our every day encounters ~ is not wasted. It is a part of a bigger plan. And for those who love Him and are called by Him rest assured that even though you can't see it right now, He is working on a bigger picture. No matter the battle fatigue, Keep Looking Up.

When Life Happens

The last couple of months feels like a whirlwind. Everything that could have happened did. I found myself in an unfamiliar place a new place with so many decisions to make and fast.

Go back to what was familiar

Panic

Trust God

What I can say is that going back to what was familiar was no longer an option. And now looking back, I can marvel on that area of growth. You truly do not know what you will do, or what's really in you until you are tried and tested.

Panic tried to move in but I quickly shut the door cuz in the words of Sweet Brown "aint nobody got time for that!"

My only other option was to really trust God. 

For the past couple of months, it feels like I have been walking in a tunnel. To be quite honest, I don't want to go back but I also don't necessarily like where I am either. It is scary, it feels dark and it's unpredictable. All I can do is keep walking knowing eventually I will make it out.

I don't know how many of you can relate to my experience. Some of you may be in this very place right now. I am here to encourage you to hold on and TRUST GOD. No I mean really TRUST GOD.

There comes a time where we have to move from saying that we trust Him to actively trusting Him. 

Our dry place, winter season, dark tunnel or life happened place is a place where:

We build a closer intimacy with the Lord. 

It's a place where we surrender our will and wants and allow Him to have His way. 

It's a place where we learn His heart. 

It's a place where we stand on the word and allow it to comfort, guide and direct us. 

It's a place where we truly realize that no one has the answer but Him.

Its a place where the Lord is hand crafting us, writing our script and molding us in to His greatest master piece.

I just want to encourage you that if you are in this process, stop trying to fight it and just fall into the arms of your Heavenly Father and just REST!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

ReJecTion

Everyone knows or has heard the verse ~ ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you (Luke 11:9). I was quick to quote this verse especially when I was believing the Lord for something major. And as time went on and I didn't receive what I was praying for I moved on. On to something else. Or maybe, I became disappointed and decided to take a break from the "believing thing." Other times, I became upset with the Lord. My hope was crushed and instead, I decided to do things my way. Which usually led me nowhere fast because deep inside of my heart, the yearning for what I really desired was still there. What a dilemma? Can you relate to this experience?

As time went on and I received more biblical teaching, continued to establish a personal relationship with the Lord, started confessing my real hurts and disappointment in Jesus to Jesus; it's like He opened my eyes of understanding. This verse ~ ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door WILL be opened unto you was not a one time thing. We get stuck, stop or become sidetracked when we don't receive (especially in the time frame that we expect) what we believe and just give up. Its like someone has stamped on our request -REJECTED! And that can be a blow.

However, what we do in that moment is very crucial. More important than we even realize. Instead of becoming consumed with feelings of rejection and giving up, maybe we should continue to ask of the Lord until it is given, continue to seek until we find and continue to knock until the door is opened to us? 

You decide.

THAT OLD FAKE

Lets talk about that old fake for a moment. You may be wondering what I am referring to. It is also known as a counterfeit, an Ishmael before an Isaac, the imitation before the gift. Yes, some of you may have experienced this. And this can be applied to anything whether it's a job, an opportunity or a mate. Today, I'm focused on that old fake, in regards to a mate.

There are men and women of God right now who are trusting and believing Him for their God ordained mate. We have made a u-turn from our sinful ways and made a decision to live upright before the Lord. To include no longer having sex, setting standards for ourselves, spending time with the Lord and walking out His word. We decided to no longer waste time chasing our tails but instead preparing ourselves to be the same qualities that we are looking for. We stopped to say, wait a minute, let's see what the Lord has to say about this. What is a godly mate?

See if we don't know what the real should look like, we can become easy targets for that old fake- looks like, talks like, smells like but it ain't! Think about it, in order for one to recognize what a counterfeit dollar bill looks like, they must first know what an authentic dollar bill looks like.


It is not the Lord's will that anyone of us should perish or be tricked by the enemy. He gave us His word as a guideline and as the standard of measure. He gave us His Spirit to dwell in us and to guide us into all truth and understanding. We can not want the gift more than we desire the Lord. If so, you are at risk for accepting Ishmael. We are in a time where we must know our opponent and what we are really dealing with.

Sisters lets stop being deceived and giving our hand away to Ishmaels. Ignoring the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the confirmations and nagging feeling in the pit of our stomach telling us No when a brother shows up. Brothers, lets not forget to slow it down enough to hear what the Lord is saying as you wait to hear if the Lord has given His seal of approval.

Being connected to the wrong person can not only lead to a life time of pain but interrupt the destiny and plans that the Lord has for you. Someone needs to see a godly union. Your wait and right choice will effect the decisions that the next generation will make. Someone needs you and your mate's testimony to break that long line of generational curse of no marriages in their own family. It's so much more bigger than you. A generation is waiting on YOU to choose wisely.

Pearls Among Swine

Do not mix your pearls among swine. 

Do not throw your pearls to the pigs!

It becomes no more real than this. This is real talk and comes straight from the word. Yes, the word! 

Do not give dogs what is sacred, do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:6)

Just take a moment to visualize this....Yikes!! 

When I first started attending my current church, one thing that my Pastor said stayed in my mind until this day. He said, when you don't know the value of a thing, abuse is inevitable. In essence, when we don't know our value, our purpose or our worth we will allow for abuse. It's time to know who the Lord says we are despite what we have been told or believe about ourselves. 

We are victorious! The head and not the tail! Above and not beneath! We are the apple of God's eye!

Dreams Delayed

Ladies, always be on guard and in a state of examining your own heart. Life's disappointments, frustrations and dreams delayed can easily lead to bitterness and a hardened heart. Usually upon further examination, it can reveal lack of true faith and trust in Christ.

The truth is sometimes we are secretly angry with the Lord and don't even realize it. It is one of the biggest hidden traps that the enemy uses to further frustrate us, send counterfeits and hinder us from really hearing God's voice.

When we are bitter, angry and or frustrated especially when it comes to waiting and believing in God for something that has not manifested over an extended period of time; we are in a vulnerable position to be used and abused by the enemy, if we are not examining the condition of our hearts daily.

When our heart is hardened, we can't see truth.
When our heart is hardened, we can't hear the the Lord's voice.
When our heart is hardened, we are secretly in opposition with our Savior. The One and only One that can and will help us!

A hardened heart makes us susceptible to the enemy's schemes.

There is so much coming down the pike in 2015. We must be equipped to defeat the attacks of the enemy. Let's commit to asking the Lord daily to show us what is hidden in our hearts and when He shows us what is there, let's do something about it! With His help of course:)