Sit at My Feet

God in His preciousness woke me up this morning just waiting to whisper secrets he’s been wanting to share with me. I love those moments when we just talk back and forth. Times when I hear his voice like a conversation of thoughts that have so much wisdom and the flow is so natural it could only be from Him are invaluable.

You’d think it would be a natural occurrence for me. You’d think I’d wake up early every morning excited to be in His presence. But to be quite honest…I like my sleep! I don’t do mornings well. My body aches and pains make it easier to push snooze than to push myself. It’s something I want to change, but so far the want hasn’t had much success. I just can’t seem to find the energy.

But today was different. Today I felt this presence of joy. Today I felt motivated not just to get up, but to take a morning walk. A walk that turned into an entire day of joy and blessing.

I’d love to share all the insights God gave me today; and maybe one day I will, but there’s was one insight that just brought me to tears.

When I came back from my walk and sat down to recuperate from my excursion, my three dogs all jumped up on the couch wanting my attention.

Moses,was happy just to lay at my feet. He curled up beside me, rested his head at my feet and was content just to be at my there. He didn’t worry much about how the other dogs were acting, he was just happy to be close to me.

My German Shepherd, Jay, wanted me to play with him. If he wasn’t bringing me a squeaky toy endlessly demanding attention, he was burying his head up under my elbow raising my arm to pet him on his timing rather than mine. 

Charlie, our new rescue dog, is a little more personal. He wanted to be right next to me. It wasn’t enough to be at my feet or to play with him. We wasn’t content until he was right up in my face resting on my chest.

All the dogs were competing for my attention one way or another. They all wanted my presence, touch and approval.

Then God spoke…

“That’s all I want Christina!”

He showed me in such a loving way that all He wants is my attention and need for His presence, touch and approval. He wants me to need His love. He wants me to rest at His feet. He wants me to be up in His face!

Could you imagine if we started begging for God’s presence? Could you imagine if we sat more at His feet? Could you imagine if we spent time seeking to be in His face?

Isn’t he a good Master? I don’t always give my dogs the attention they need. Sometimes I’m tired or even annoyed to give them that adequately. But not God! He wants it. It pleases Him when we seek His face, His touch, His interaction, His presence.

Take some time today to reflect on the goodness of the Master. Sit at His feet and rest in Him.

Revive Me

 Lately I’ve been feeling revival stirring. It’s been stirring all around me. Conversations with other believers, opportunities for evangelism, sermons at church…it’s in the air. And it’s exciting! But to be completely honest, it’s scary as well. Reviving isn’t an easy process. At least not for the individual being revived.

Have you ever watched someone on the verge of death receiving cpr? It can be horrifying. The process of reviving can even cause damage to the ribs that protect our most important organs. Yet, it’s necessary in order to reach deep enough to pump the heart hard enough to spark the blood to start flowing again.

To revive means:

• regain life, consciousness, or strength.
• give new strength or energy to.

How many of us need to regain our spiritual energy and strength? How many of us need to regain life or even a greater spiritual consciousness?

Look at this photo:

God gave me such a beautiful vision of revival. I saw a body laying on the ground, heart stopped, no breath in the lungs…lifeless. And then I saw my Heavenly Father leaning over the lifeless body and pressing in pumping the heart and breathing into the lungs. With each compression of the heart ribs were cracking but the flow of blood began pumping through the arteries again. Jesus’s blood began cleaning out the stopped up arteries. The very breath of Yahweh filled the lungs! 

The person being revived does NOTHING! They just have to allow the work to be done. Quit trying so hard to make it happen. Just allow God to do his work in you!

As I thought about the ribs, that protect the heart, lungs, and other vital organs, God gave me such a beautiful insight. After a revival, Satan comes in to try to steal our life again, because he knows our protective cage has been broken. He knows we are vulnerable. Why would God allow us to be so vulnerable just after reviving us?

You see, ribs can be broken after preforming cpr because in order to go deep enough to reach the depths of our heart to get blood to start flowing again… sometimes we have to be broken to reach the depths of our spiritual heart to allow Jesus to freely flow in our lives again. And although our protective bones are broken, it allows God to heal us more perfectly in his timing. And although Satan feels we are unprotected, we are able to fight him more effectively because of the better flow of Jesus in our life.

Satan doesn’t want revival because it brings us life. Instead of having a physical cpr… we experience a spiritual cpr. Christ’s Power Revives…CPR.

If you are feeling dead spiritually, take a moment and ask for an awakening of the power of Jesus in your life.

More Mercies

 

I love the scripture that tells us, “His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.” For me, it gives me a sense of new beginnings and hope in all those times of failure. 

As we are at the start of another new year, I find myself fighting not to focus on all the areas where I’ve failed over the years and be hopeful of the new progress I want to make. It’s especially hard when I look at things like this blog and the neglected ministry opportunities I may have missed through the years of inconsistency. 

Maybe, for me, the scripture should read, “More are His mercies. Great is His faithfulness.” At times I feel like I’m asking God to forgive me for the same things over and over. His mercies haven’t changed where they need to be new… I just need more because it happens again and again. It’s easy to feel defeated and wonder if there’s been any growth at all over the years.

Then, it rings out in a beautiful anthem… “GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS!” It’s not about my faithfulness. It’s not about my failures. Whether His mercy is new each day or He just gives more and more each day, one thing remains. Great is His faithfulness!

Hopefully you won’t have to wait another 5+ years to see another post on here from me. Hopefully this time I can find discipline to be constant in my encouragement. Hopefully today will be a new era in my spiritual growth. Hopefully today will be a new beginning for SHINE to become the ministry God birthed over 15 years ago. Hopefully I will see God’s calling come to fruition. But no matter what, Great is His faithfulness and I will trust in His timing and mercy.

Good Courage

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord." -Psalm 27:14

Courage is word we associate with bravery and action. We don't often think of courage and bravery in waiting. How can standing still be a sign of strength and bravery?

I Believe, Help My Unbelief

There is great power in words. Do you prayers start off like this? "Dear Lord, if you can..." or "Heavenly Father if you will..."