Almighty Warrior-
Had I seen you instead of me,
Had I sought You instead of the mirage of pride and self
Had I known You, had I understood it was YOU,
I would have been sooner delivered.
It was You who stood by me, who birthed me, who nurtured me.
Who gathered me in Your Arms in my darkest hour and guarded me on the hilltops
You who delivered me from darkness into Your amazing light.
Show me the way O living God
Usher me into your Presence- that I would know you always- my King.
Every single day I am bombarded by information. While I am certainly glad for the news and the on-time information, much of it are opinions, disinformation, and just plain lies. I have a smartphone….like many other people ..and it seems that I am tracked all the time. If I search for a rug, I am bombarded by advertisers selling rugs.
I just want a few minutes to think. STOP.. my mind cries out. ENOUGH.
How about a few minutes to hear me. To think. To meditate on something other than what others want me to think.
I am a sheep among wolves. So I have to make some changes in my lifestyle.
Let His word lead us to REST in Him always.
Ps 37:7-8 says “Be still before Adonai; wait patiently till he comes.
Don’t be upset by those whose way succeeds because of their wicked plan. Stop being angry, put aside rage, and don’t be upset — it leads to evil.” (CJB)
Ps 23:1-3- “Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water, he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name. ” (CJB)
Ps 62: 6-9: “ My soul, wait in silence for God alone, because my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I won’t be moved. My safety and honor rest on God. My strong rock and refuge are in God. Trust in him, people, at all times; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (CJB)
Isa 40:28-31: “Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard that the everlasting God, Adonai, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow tired or weary?
His understanding cannot be fathomed. He invigorates the exhausted, he gives strength to the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, even the fittest may stumble and fall; but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings; when they are running they won’t grow weary, when they are walking they won’t get tired.” (CJB)
My prayer is that we find rest in the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of a generation that suffers from information overload and a host of noise frequencies. We have to learn to tune in to that which is really relevant and productive and to tune out the things that distract. Amen
AS we are about to enter into 2018, we reflect on our lives. The things we have accomplished, the things we have not, the time spent wisely and the time wasted and we vow in the new year to be different, to reach higher, to go further and to be better.
May I interject for just a moment with the thought: We cannot hope for a different outcome if we keep doing things the same way, having the same old mindsets and following the same routines.
In order for TRUE change to come, we have to take a step back and ask ourselves a few things.
Where do I want to be?
Our greatest hindrance is ourselves! We are our greatest enemies from achieving our purposes in life. We falter before we even set out on the race. Where I want to be and where I am at this moment may be separated by a great chasm, but we have to be able to have CLARITY OF VISION to see over that hill to where we want to be. We have to have a vision. We have to envision the end goal. We cannot let ourselves and our shadows hide us from our destiny!
Who do I want to be?
We cannot be anyone else but whom GOD created us to be. We have to come to terms with who we are. No-one is responsible for me except me. We have to release those who may have said evil against us, who may have stood in our way to smash us down, who may have wounded us. We cannot carry that baggage and those old demons across the finish line. We must dump them. We must release them and it takes some doing but the key lies in the word – FORGIVENESS. We have to forgive ourselves first and then those around us.
When do I want to achieve this?
Remember- all things have a process of growth and we must never lose sight of the journey we are on. We cannot cloud our minds with the small things. The urgency of our destiny must be imprinted in our minds, our souls and our spirits so that we reach forward with purpose. Time lost is never regained. But never forget to take a few moments to enjoy the journey, always focusing on what is forward and forgetting the things behind.
As the new year dawns on us, let us release those who have hurt us, hindered us and have held us back. Release them to release yourself and move forward with new hope, re-invigorated by the Love of God and through that Love- see others and yourself.
Don’t take the old demons that torment you into the new year. Forgive and Love. Release and Breathe and Let God In. And with Him forge ahead to reach new heights, climb new mountains and achieve great things. AMEN!
CASTIN-GRACE 