I am tired. Are you tired?
As I prayed yesterday and again this morning, I released to my Father that I am tired - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.. I was immediately reminded of my first love and the very day my Father moved and called me to be His. I was broken, sick, and very much steeped in sin. I did nothing but show up that day... no motives, no thoughts, and no plans; I just showed up and He moved. His Spirit did all the work; I was an empty but willing vessel. He bought me with a very great price that day, and it cost me nothing. He committed to me His Spirit and His promise to finish His good work in me and to take care of me all along the way. My only job is to believe Him, rest in Him, and obey Him. Why do I continually make such simplicity so complicated? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify the Most High in your body, and in your spirit, which are His. 1 Corinthians 6:20 Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Yahusha ha Meshiach. Philippians 1:6 So why am I weary? Why is my soul downcast within me? Demands of life, lack of faith, and an enemy that knows every wound and weak spot in my body, soul, and spirit. It is difficult not to have a weary spirit from time to time, especially in the day and age in which we live. In addition, some of us are doers and workers and can be very productive and accomplish much. I am this way and often find myself "doing" things in my own power, as if I have what it takes to accomplish anything spiritual. And then again comes the exhaustion, weariness, and sometimes even feelings of defeat. There is such a simple way to overcome all of this; our Father made it that way for us. It's just like the day of my rebirth, the best day of my entire life that I often relive over and over. I had nothing to offer but ugly sin and simple faith. I did nothing but stand there completely empty and motionless in complete surrender, and He completed His will in me by His finished work. I remind myself this day to rest in shalom (peace) as if every day were like my re-birthday, allowing Him to have full domain over me... no words of my own and no works of my own; just His full authority over me to accomplish His purposes. This is the very way my Savior lived while on this earth, and this serves as an example for us to attain the rest and peace we so desire. As I lay in my closet last night seeking my heavenly Father, I was also reminded (again) that He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). He is there in our praise and worship -- it's a sure way to get in His presence!! Because of the amazing work that the Son of the Most High completed before the foundation of the world that has been so graciously given to us at a time when we deserved the complete opposite, we must willfully stay in this state of gratitude and praise for this gift. This is the only way to remain in His love, His peace, and His rest. For those of us who have been walking with the Most High for years and years, we cannot ever sway from this foundational truth. I believe this is why Yahusha reminded the church of Ephesus that although they had many good things about them, they had actually left their first love. There are many, many distractions, temptations, and even various doctrines all around us today just waiting to pull us from our first love. These things do nothing but bring us to a fleshy striving to do our own work and battle for survival and salvation. This does not bring abundant life, but instead, weariness and defeat. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou has tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars; and hast born, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:2-5 As I ponder this truth and think of His word, there is no doubt that we are to have REST... right now! When we step outside of the finished work of the Savior, we are giving in to the enemy's poking and prodding, allowing him to take us outside this rest. Then we start fighting him in the flesh, and we become tired, flustered, and weary in every aspect of our being. This is our natural instinct as humans, but we must stop and shift modes into the mind of our Savior, using His power and His wisdom to resist the enemy and believe and walk in the victory that was purchased for us. This takes discipline, will, and strength! I offer myself and you this encouragement today... We were bought with a great price; let us rise up out of our weariness into gratitude and praise for our first love! Let us offer Him a sacrifice of praise!! Our King and Redeemer will show up and restore us and deposit in us His life that which we need to continue on... to endure! Then we can step out in confidence -- the confidence we have in His power and in His mind -- and we will have the spirit-lead energy and will to fight for what is ours. Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to the Most High, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices that Most high is well please. Hebrews 13:15-16 Our Father made a way through an everlasting covenant for us to have abundant life and rest day in and day out, despite any and every circumstance that may come our way. When we find ourselves tired and weary, then it's self-check time! It's likely we've stepped out of His newness of life back into our old life of flesh. Go back to your re-birthday, your first love, and remember His work; thank Him, praise Him, and worship Him with a pure heart. He will bring you back under His wings and into His peace and joy every time. For it is there we find our strength to endure and continue on in the race that we may finish and claim the prize we all so desperately seek! ... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 ... Do not grieve, for the joy of the Most High is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
0 Comments
The flowers shown above don't die - they make it through the Texas heat and cold (and it can get cold here!); I have some that are over five years old. They have great resilience and endurance, standing firm with open, colorful blooms and praising the Creator in all seasons of their life! I am sure there is no coincidence that the name of this flower, Dianthus, means "God-flower". It's also a type of carnation, which represents the incarnation of God. Amazing how everything is always connected back to our amazing and faithful Creator! As I continue to look at these flower in deep thought, I think of myself, at times waxing and waning in my faith as the seasons of my life change, and I wonder why I cannot be as consistent in my praise and thanksgiving as these little flowers. Oh wretched man that I am! The spirit is so willing, but the flesh is still weak.
Let us all be encouraged by the beautiful things that our Father has given to us to show us His ways and plans and desires for us as His ultimate creation, made in His image. Our obedience and praise should be like the flowers, the stars, the trees, and even the animals... they stay their course consistently, obeying the absolute word of the Most High, and as a result, their existence is justified and sustained. They don't question Him or bring their own ideas and emotions into His truth. They quietly obey but loudly show their obedience and praise to the Father. Oh what amazing things we can learn from our Father's creation! He is forever showing us His glory; therefore, we are without excuse.
In reading in Ephesians 4 this morning, I stopped at verse 7... But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Meshiach. Pondering upon "the measure of the gift", I went to Romans 12:3 as a precept. It states, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as Yahuah hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
I then went to a commentary to gain further understanding and found one that said it so perfectly. This is something that I have been trying to articulate in words for a few years myself. Having been somewhat "distracted" in my walk by following someone who was very confident in only their truth, often charging others even in authoritative positions as not having the truth, I sought to make sense of it all. The following is the commentary I found that fully expresses it but in a very concise way (credit to John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, commentary on Romans 12;3): ... but to think soberly, according as Yahuah hath dealt to every man the measure of faith: Such ought to consider that what gifts, abilities, light, and knowledge they have, they have then, not of themselves, but from God; that they have not all faith, and all knowledge, or do not know the whole of the faith of the Gospel but only a measure of it, which is dealt out, divided, and parted to every man, some having a greater degree of evangelical light than others; and that all have some, but none all. In Yahusha's teachings, He always emphasized the body and the love of each member of the body for the others, even stating that our love towards one another would show the world that we belong to Him (John 13:34-35). In today's society of believers, many have turned from this and instead resorted to debate and strife in attempts to exalt themselves over others to prove that their version of the truth is the absolute truth -- and many times this is done for the world to see through social media. While we must stand for absolute truth according to the scriptures, we must also remain humble staying the course with the Word... willing to feed and willing to be fed (and even corrected!). If we have reached the pinnacle of knowing all, to the point that we discount everyone else's knowledge and understanding, then we have become the Messiach and have no need of the truth that comes from the unified body. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Meshiach: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Yahuah, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Meshiach... (Ephesians 4:12-13) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working, in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:16)
The unified body being fed by each member is the Creator's perfect design, and it is perfectly displayed with the workings of all our parts within our own human bodies that He created. Since it is His design, we must willingly and humbly submit to it, casting away any desire that we be exalted in any way! This is the only design where we can effectively learn, grow, operate, and prepare for the coming Kingdom. And in doing so, the rewards are great for ALL and our Father is well pleased! In reading Daniel 3, and its continuation in The Song of the Three Holy Children (in the Apocrypha), our Creator and Father’s character is fully displayed – righteous judgment and mercy! Included in this story are profound truths of deliverance and redemption for us even today IN THE VERY MIDST of our own fires of tribulation and trial. May we remember and display this same fervent faith!
NOTE: They did not just confess their own sins but the sins of the people as a whole. This also includes the sins of the forefathers before them.
Glory, honor, and praise be to our mighty God, King, and Savior!! In prayer this morning, I continued to pray for all of the oppressed and poor in this world who are overtaken by evil, including children (born and unborn), the elderly, and various groups of targeted peoples. This always overwhelms me, because I know there is nothing I can physically do... so I pray!
As I was praying, I began to wonder... Are the powers of darkness so prevalent today because the people of Yahuah are not diligently praying against them? The word is very clear... Ye are of Yahuah little children, and have overcome them (referencing the spirit of antichrist from verse 3), because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. (! John 4:4) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Yahusha, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. (Luke 10:17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils... (Mark 16:17) Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18) Are the people of Yahuah not praying enough?! Conviction... We must will ourselves to rise up with the armor given to us (Ephesians 6) and bind up these powers of murder that are killing the children both in and out of the womb, the powers of addiction that are killing so many with alcohol and drugs, the powers of division and hatred that are dividing all people, the powers of self-indulgence and perversion that are causing people to turn away from natural ways, and the powers of arrogance and pride that cause people to completely turn away from the Creator! This is our responsibility! I wonder what would happen if every person who fears Yahuah rose up early every day to pray against these demonic forces in high places and bind them up that they may be bound by their Creator in heaven?! Would we see a difference? Or are we living in the time that a lazy and slothful generation of believers would fail to take the time to use the power given to them through their Redeemer to intercede against evil and for the protection of the innocent, the oppressed, and those taken captive by these forces? Am I part of this end-time generation who is failing to make a difference?!! Selah... Just because it looks like the devil is winning, and we know that evil will abound in the end of days, does not mean that we don't fight! This is the very time that we rise up and fight harder... in boldness and confidence through faith! I believe we will be held accountable if we fail to stand against these forces in some way! Prayer, our testimony, along with wisdom and knowledge, all provided by Yahusha, are all weapons in our arsenal, and we must use them! As I end this post, I am reminded of what feels like may have been a very sad moment when Yahusha spoke concerning His return... ... Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, will He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8) Again, selah...
|
Special NoteThese writings are written in love and a spirit of servitude. They are not designed to judge but make us think. We are all sinners in need of saving, and we all need encouragement and absolute truth to endure on the narrow road to sanctification and ultimately eternal life. Categories
All
Archives
May 2024
|