This morning I shared some thoughts that I got from a devotional through social media and it seemed to resonate with some of my friends – just like it did me…on so many levels.  Maybe I was not the only one needing words of healing.  Maybe the enemy isn’t just playing with my mind but also twirling inside some other peoples as well.  So I wanted to unpack some brief thoughts but first here is the entire devotional:  (HERE is a link to the original.)

Healing Words From A Dialogue With God

… Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. Luke 1:78-79

God’s Word promises, “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). You are sure it’s past due to be morning already. It’s hard to let Him be in charge of the whys, hows, and whens. You only know what you think you want.

You: “I’m numb. Where am I? Where did I go?”

God: “I long for you to be quiet, refresh yourself in Me. Quiet your soul in Me and let your spirit hear and receive from Me the healing that you need. Then you can become the beautiful new treasure that I have in mind.”

You: (not getting the message) “Where are You? I feel disconnected and shut down. In my devotional time, I can’t connect with You like I want to (or used to). Why?”

God: “I am near. In fact, I am here with you now. I am in you. Just rest in Me. Whisper My name. Sit with Me and let Me love you. It is enough.”

You: (Not yet acknowledging the compulsive nature of your former works, even those “in Jesus’ name”) “When will You let me feel reconnected with life?”

God: “I want you connected to Me, not life as you know it, not a ministry, not a group. Connect with Me in that deep-calls-to-deep place. Let Me gently confront any arrogance or demanding tone. It’s O.K. to want more, not O.K. to demand it.” Or His answer may be silence. He may not say a word, because He is doing a new thing, so honor His right to choose if you reconnect with life as you knew it, and how and when you can feel again.

You: “Soften my heart. Let me glimpse new levels of true communion with You.”

God: “I long for you more than you long for Me. Trust Me.”

Isaiah spoke of mounting up with wings as an eagle. When an eagle feels toxic, it sits high on a rock above all his enemies and lets the sun do its work. When the eagle is molting and in a weakened condition, it lets God’s sun renew it while it gets new feathers to soar higher. It also goes to the high rock when it has eaten something contaminated. The psalmist talked about the rock that is higher than his enemies. When your human spirit is drained of God’s rest, take time out and let God’s tender mercy shine into your soul. Get outside and sit in the sun, feel the breeze, and maybe look at some water, a lake, stream, clouds, or even a fountain.

John Piper says, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” Will you find your well of satisfaction, your fountain of life, in Him? The hymn “Moment By Moment” is an affirmation that Jesus never leaves or forsakes you. Here is the chorus:
Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
Daniel W. Whittle, 1893

Commit to him, “Moment by moment, Lord, I am Yours.”

I have felt toxic lately.  In fact, I have needed to sit high on a rock above all the circumstances in life and let the SON do his work.

Frankly, I have felt weakened.  Something inside of me feels like many of you who know me think…”WOW!  She is being so transparent!”  However, I have reached a point where the enemy wants me to keep staying down on the ground where its safe (and maybe in the dark) and not realize I NEED to go up on the mountain to be refreshed.  When we get renewed and come into the LIGHT (our Father’s Light) then we become strengthened and have new feathers so that we can soar higher.

Sitting in that place of rest has been my saving grace.  The place where I get refreshed and renewed.  The place where I gather new feathers.

It also goes to the high rock when it has eaten something contaminated. The psalmist talked about the rock that is higher than his enemies. When your human spirit is drained of God’s rest, take time out and let God’s tender mercy shine into your soul. Get outside and sit in the sun, feel the breeze, and maybe look at some water, a lake, stream, clouds, or even a fountain.

In the last couple of days, I have found that I need to go to a rock that is higher than my enemies.  That place where I can share all my thoughts, fears, accusations, and frustrations.  God listens in that place.  He lets me vent.  He lets me think I can control it all…for about 2.5 minutes and then He begins to speak.

That place is in my garden.  The place where the weeds grow.  The place where new life is also born and hope is given back when failure or disappointment is right in front of your face.

He speaks.

And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.

1 John 5:14-15 MSG

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  

Isaiah 43:1-3

I am His.

God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.

We bring Him glory when we are focused on the Father and not our situation.  Our satisfaction needs to come from the fact that He is God and is sovereign in everything.  I mean EVERYTHING.  We can rest in that Truth. (Preaching to myself now!)

That brings the most healing to my soul because I know that He goes before me and behind me on all things.  Even when I mess up or don’t understand, He has a plan.

I have this saying that I found a year or so ago on the internet and it has spoken volumes to me every time I read it.

There is a PLAN and there is a PURPOSE and there is a God in heaven who didn’t just INK you onto the palm of his hands but ETCHED your name right into himself with NAILS and he hasn’t just got your NUMBER, he’s got your HEART.  He see you, hidden in him, and you aren’t EVER forgotten because God CAN’T forget those right in him, because God’s WRITING your STORY and he NEVER leaves you alone in your story, and his PERFECT love absorbs all your fear and his perfect grace CARRIES ALL your burdens, and your STORY is a happily ever after because CHRIST BOUGHT your HAPPILY ever after so you ALWAYS know how this story ends:

YOU”RE GOING TO BE OKAY.

(By Ann Voskamp)

Those are the healing words that my Father says over me everyday, in every situation and I love Him completely for it.  When He is writing the story, sometimes it won’t make sense to our human minds.  But it will guarantee to bring Glory to Him because He is our happily ever after.

Thanks for stopping by to check in on me.  I am good because God is writing my story.