Quiet Moments With The LORD... #3
October 7, 2018 – Sunday, 10:49 pm
What a day! What a day! I have been busy putting some more touches on, as I fine-tuning this ministry, on several fronts. Sometimes, it is a bit like juggling a lot of balls in the air, all at the same time; and, if you let worry creep in, you will begin to drop a few, before you know it. If you still remain worried or fearful, you could drop them all! My job is, as it has always been, to pray, study God’s Word, follow His lead and stay FOCUSED.
It still remains interesting to me how random people will try to tell me the direction in which this ministry will take, without understanding that before I stepped forward, God showed me where we were headed. He gave me a choice, whether to proceed or not. It is not as though I jumped into this blindly. I could not even have come up with the name on my own, if the LORD has not seen fit to give it to me. My utter dependency is on the LORD. If nothing else, this ministry is founded on vision and prayer (the two way kind, not the one way kind, where you do all the talking, then get up convinced that the LORD has your back).
Yesterday, at my church’s monthly women’s gathering called, “Coffee With Jesus”, I was able to announce the start of this ministry; know that I would be blessed, again, this morning to announce the launch of this ministry, to the entire congregation. Afterwards, I received prayer, while holding hands in agreement with our ministry secretary, Evangeline Avila (pictured above with me and my pastor, Timothy Russell), as led by our Community Pastor’s finance, with the support of the entire church. That was indeed a powerful moment. I could feel God’s covering overshadow me. I have had some very positive feedback thus far. God has equipped me for such a time as this. I simply have to accept that, keep my chin up, and move in the forward direction.
When I read Isaiah 58 last week, I marveled, as I often do, on how a word spoken so many years ago, still can radiate such truth and light into a present day situation. I think on Ecclesiastes 1:9 (there is no new thing under the sun) in these so-called, modern times (Does “modern” translate into being more immoral?). Sin, in our consciousness, has existed since the fall of man. However, there is indeed nothing new under the sun. I believe it has just been magnified by the sheer expansion of the world’s population, and aided in its swiftness and/or accessibility by the internet. Before you might have had a thought or desire that was less than holy, and had to let it drop for fear of being seen, or discovered, by someone else. Now, you can simply sit in the privacy of your own home, let your fingers do the walking, and your screen, do the talking. Okay, you might ask yourself, why did she go off on that tangent? My answer, is simple, “Why not”? A blog, as far as I know is a compilation of thoughts. I had that one, so I wrote it down. ;-)
Now, I will get back on topic. After leaving church, I did a little grocery shopping, before returning home. My kitties also benefitted from that trip. That way, I could add a little more variety to their food selection. It seems the older they become, the pickier. Hmm, seems like that is probably also true for most of us. Do you remember, when you were a kid, you ate whatever you thought was edible (Okay, let’s confess. Who ate, or at least took a bite out of, a real mud pie – the kind you made in your backyard out of real dirt and water? My hand just went up – LOL). It’s like when I was new in the LORD, I thought that “older Christians” in the church, really were closer to God than the rest of us. Then the cracks began to show, in some of their armour, and I came to realize that I needed to be more discerning on what I ate off of spiritual tables, as well. I began to search God’s Word for myself. I became serious about learning more about the LORD, and what He wanted from my life. I also began to allow Him to lead me to those, who would aid me in the healing process. In all honesty, they have been few and far between. To that end, most of the deliverances that have taken place in my life, have involved, prayer, fasting, reading and, a whole lot of alone time, one on one, with the LORD. I am blessed to have had all of that time, because, with the exception of a few others, I allowed to live with me briefly, over the years, I have lived alone, usually with a furry baby – dogs initially, then, cats in my latter college years.
God has definitely been good to me, even when I could not feel His love, that did not stop Him one bit. For me, my personal epiphany came after I had put the LORD on the back burner to engage in a relationship, in ways, that were not appropriate for a child of God. When that relationship, finally ran its course and, unfortunately/fortunately ended badly, I fell on my knees and assumed the position of a whipped dog, or an overly chastised child. I just knew, in my heart of hearts, that this would be the moment, where the LORD rejected me for the sinner I was; because, I had been raised under the model of “conditional love”, not unconditional. As I awaited that crushing blow, I received something I would have never expected. In fact, it caused me to burst out in tears, even more. I saw an image of Jesus standing before me with His arms wide open, for me to run into and receive a warm embrace. When I accepted that love-infused embrace, a peace came over my soul, as never before. That is the moment, I knew beyond all reason, or doubt, that He truly did love me. I got off of that floor with a changed heart.
The LORD truly does love you with an unconditional love and His arms are outstretched to enfold you in His love, as well. Generational curses can be broken, and old, non-productive, negative coping mechanisms can be abandoned and destroyed. I want to be used as a repairer and a restorer of the breach, under the LORD’s direction. Please continue along with me in that pursuit. Peace truly does await you, too.
Isaiah 58: 11 & 12
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought,
and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a
spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall
build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations;
and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
