Shout of Faith

I am your God of all comfort, even as you feel so very uncomfortable. Dare to believe My "much greater" rather than your feelings, "much less". Abide in Me as you rest to wellness, and choose joy! 

Keep your eyes fixed steadfastly on Me, and not on what you can see or how you feel. Trust Me with your whole heart, Beloved. 

Give your shout of faith before you can see the outworking! Remember that I AM with you ALWAYS, in every situation! 

The First Gate and the Second

My wisdom is growing in you. See to it that you do not poison the roots by words or thoughts that are unkind, unloving or unlovely. Keep gazing on Me until your heart fills with My Love. 

Words are so very powerful. Therefore, take seriously all of the warnings in My Word to watch every word that comes out of your mouth. 

I am the Bread of Life, I am the Living Water - eat and drink of Me until you have your fill. Beloved, as you "eat My flesh" and "drink My blood" you are partaking in My Lifeforce and allowing Me to live My Life through you. 

Everything that I am will become fruit in your life - you will become patient, kind, compassionate, loving, trusting, generous, passionate, wise, caring...So many of these traits are expressed through your words, so guard your heart carefully as the first gate; and your mouth equally carefully as the second gate. 

You used to think that sanctificiation happened just as you spend "quiet time" in My Presence, but you are learning that every moment of the day is an opportunity to live close to Me and let Me live through you - especially the frustrating, unpleasant, boring and painful moments. Be grateful for these, therefore, and truly yield to and treust Me for My answers in how to deal with each of these.

Bread of Life

Manna from heaven...these are My words for you - fresh every day! Each day, new truths for you to chew over, with perfect nutrition your spirit needs for this day. Have your ears open to hear what I have for you today...do not try to regurgitate yesterday's food. Feed on Me, the Bread of Life. 

"Jesus said to them, 'I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty.'" (John 6:35, TPT)

"...But if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never thirst again and will be forever satisfied! For when you drink the water I give you it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, springing up and flooding you with endless life!" (John 4:14, TPT)

***

Each time you feel frustrated, see it as a signal that you need to examine your attitude and lean into Me. If your kids' behaviour is frustrating you, let your spirit lead the response, not your flesh. If you catch yourself saying, "These kids are driving me crazy!" - Stop, speak out blessing over them immediately! Do not be afraid to correct yourself. There are bad habits of thoughts and speech that I am exposing as inconsistent with my Spirit-life in you. These habits have already been put to death with your flesh, with Me on the cross, so take up new habits by allowing your spirit to stay connected to My Spirit.

Use Difficulties Creatively

The secret to victorious living is to let Me turn every single negative, unwelcome experience you face into something lovely and beautiful by helping you respond to it with joyfully confident yielding to Me. I know you have already begun to grasp and live this magnificent and astounding Truth in some circumstances, but Precious One, it can go so much further! 

Every day, you are faced with countless opportunities to practise this! You do not need to wait for particularly adverse circumstances to test it out! You have endless opportunities with your children's behaviour alone! Every tantrum, every refusal to obey, every rude word spoken, every argument between themselves...you are giving up your right to respond with rolled eyes, an impatient "Come on!", a huff and puff, or any other expression of displeasure. 

Let Me turn your displeasure into sweet pleasure by your patient, joyfully confident submission to Me! 

Try it, Beloved! You will be amazed at the power of this tool to change the atmosphere of your home! Not only so, but you will also be setting an example to your children of how to respond to unpleasant circumstances without letting your feelings boss you around. Win-win!! 

"The heavenly attitude toward sorrow and grief and all experiences of suffering in this world is in total contrast to the natural attitude we know so well. Our Lord was "acquainted with grief" and suffering, and caused great good to come out of it. Not that we are to seek these things, but we are never to fear them. We should rather use them. God, who so loves us that he allows us, like his own dear Son, to learn obedience by the things we suffer (Hebrews 5:8), wants us to use them creatively. There would be no suffering and no sorrow permitted to God's children unless all such experiences were, in actual fact, a means to heavenly and eternal blessing which could not otherwise be ours...

There can be poison in the cup of sorrow, however - but only if we put it there ourselves by reacting to these mournful circumstances with self-pity, resentment, and angry struggles to evade the cup instead of drinking it! 

...If we react to difficult situations with trust in God, difficult, unlovely, overwhelming, and disastrous things will bring praise and glory to God forever. Out of all our testing circumstances, by reacting to them in the heavenly way, we produce heavenly treasures. We have a lovely example of this in the material world, for really precious jewels, such as the diamond and ruby, are formed under immense and terrible pressure or by fiercest heat!

...Christ taught us the real secret for transforming earthly and temporary experiences into eternal treasure. It is this principle of sorrow rightly received, with joyful trust and glad submission, grief as God desires it to be used."  (Hannah Hurnard, in "Walking Among The Unseen")

Joyful, Willing Obedience

"Faith is certainly a very lovely thing," said the King with a pleased smile. "I can do anything, yes anything where there is this perfect faith or responsiveness to my will...there is nothing in the whole wide world which gives me more joy and appears fairer in my sight than the response of human hearts to my love. It is the will to obey me which makes the union complete between us and which enables me to pour my life and power into those who love me and respond to me continually." (Hannah Hurnard, "The Mountains of Spices")

Beloved, taste and see that I am good! What a joy it is to live in willing obedience. For I know you deeply and intimately and I desire good for you. As you trust Me and willingly give up your right to "do what you feel like" and choose to move with the impulses of My Spirit, you discover that I do, in fact, know best! I have good things for you - deep, abiding joy unspeakable - that cannot be gained any other way than by yielding to Me. 

Though at times, yielding to Me looks unpleasant, uncomfortable and even ugly, as you trust My Love and willingly say "yes", you find treasures previously unknown to you. The beautiful exchange! 

Do not question My methods, Beloved. Just joyfully submit. 

You are bursting with passion to share My Good News, and wondering why you have had to cancel all your plans to meet up with people this week in order to stay home with sick kids. Trust My methods, Beloved. Embrace My process. I have My reasons, and I will not always share those with you. Just walk humbly, joyfully in obedience, even as I hijack your good plans. Trust Me, even in this, Darling One. 

See, I am stirring up your hunger to see lost ones saved! I am showing you My heart for those who do not yet know Me. Sit with the agony, Beloved. Let it move you deeply. I am birthing My Heart in you, can you hear it beating? Calling, "So many hurting! So many blind! So many lost and looking for Me!" Will you help them find Me? 

As you learn to live more from your spirit than from your flesh, you will see with delight that what you desire and what you "feel like doing" is more and more in line with My Heart. 

"Night's darkness is dissolving away as a new day of destiny dawns. So we must once and for all strip away what is done in the shadows of darkness, removing it like filthy clothes. And once and for all we clothe ourselves with the radiance of light as our weapon." (Romans 13:12-13, TPT)

See how I confirm the revelation of Truth I gave you and the new song I put in your mouth with Truth directly from My Word, over and over again! Joy, Beloved! What a joyful adventure you are on with Me. 

"Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with super-abundance until you radiate with hope!" (Romans 15:13, TPT)

Determination To Stay the Course

Oh, Beloved! Your determination to stay the course blesses My Heart. Over the past few days and especially nights, you have received repeated invitations from the enemy, the wolf in sheep's clothing, to take a nice long mud bath in the pit of Self-pity. In the past, you have used this pit of Self-pity as a day spa - an indulgence, a treat if life has been especially rough. But this time, you have consistently said an emphatic, "No!" to the invitations. Hurray!

I am so pleased, Beloved, as the pit of Self-pity is not a harmless indulgence. The mud is actually poisonous to you, and hallucinogenic! It changes the way you see, and blocks your heavenly view. It keeps you stuck earth-bound, instead of soaring in the Spirit. 

Sometimes the choice to say no to the invitations is an easy one, and sometimes it is a hard slog to keep saying no. As long as you continue to listen to My Spirit, you will be able to discern the enemy's advances. 

"I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I'm trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ's explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty." (Philippians 4:12-13)

As you are connected to Me, My Power is not only available to you, but active in you as I live My life through you. You therefore need not fear how you will cope today, as you know I will empower you to complete all I have for you to do today. I will empower you to push through when that is necessary, and to stop yourself from working and rest when that is necessary. I will show you what is necessary! 

What a delight it is to Me when one of My Own walks this path with steadfastness and determination, refusing to be turned to the right or to the left. This is the path, walk in it, Beloved.

Patient endurance, joyful confidence, hope! 

The Beauty of Choice

Beloved, see the joy in "self-control" - perhaps better named "the beauty of choice". The joy is this: that in every situation, you have the power to choose how you respond. What freedom! Not only can you choose how to act in response, but also from what position you respond. 

For example, when your child calls out to you in the night, you can make the choice to ignore her, go to her, or nudge your husband awake to go to her. But each of these actions can be done from the flesh or the spirit. You could choose to go to her from a fleshly position - you would drag your feet and huff a little, indulge a little self-pity that it is the third time this night that you have been up to her...OR you can do the same action from your spirit - with joy, an act of love in allowing your husband to sleep and enjoying the precious moments with your little one. 

Or you could choose another of the actions from either the flesh or the spirit. As your spirit is tuned to Mine, you will automatically listen for My prompting and act from your spirit. The beauty of this is that the more you move from the impulses of My Spirit, the more it becomes habit in you!

Spirit-control

Through Love, I am teaching you to manage your freedom. You are learning that in some areas, you are safest to avoid certain pleasures altogether at least for a time. As you grow in My Spirit, I will help you know when you are able to test your spirit-control with small doses of these pleasures, to see if you are able to stick to your pre-determined boundaries. If you cannot, then you are not yet mature enough to handle that freedom. 

It will become a joy to manage your own freedom, to have a taste of something and not fall face-first into over-indulgence! This is moving with the impulses of the Spirit - spirit-controlled appetites, rather than appetites holding you captive and slave. 

I am also changing your perception of pleasure. You have tasted of heaven's pleasure, now earth's is losing its attractiveness. What joy to be free from slavery to earth's appetites! What a joy to be controlled by the Spirit and to be longing after heavenly appetites!

Patient Endurance

"But that's not all! Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance. And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope. And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!" (Romans 5:3-5, TPT)

Let us talk of endurance. Endurance is not so popular a virtue as it once was. In another time:

"Their favourite virtue was endurance. Not to flinch from pain or hardship was their ideal." (Flora Thompson in "Lark Rise to Candleford")

In your culture, you are told "you have to know when to quit" and "don't flog a dead horse." Endurance has gone out of fashion. But not with Me, Beloved! To Me, it is such a rare and precious joy to see My Loved Ones staying the course with patient endurance. I set the example for ultimate endurance on the cross. Look to My example:

"We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith's perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was filled with the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!" (Hebrews 12:2, TPT)

Oh, Precious One! Fix your eyes upon Me in every moment, just as you have been doing. Keep doing it, over and over, every day, let your heart search for Me in everything. Even, especially in the dull or tiresome moments, the monotonous moments, the achingly difficult moments. As you so often tell your children: "You will get what you are after quicker if you don't stop to have a tantrum on the way." The same goes for you, Beloved. Each time you choose to respond in Love to a situation that is difficult or frustrating, you are developing patient endurance. Each time you react out of your natural human self, you are slowing down that process.

Not every day is going to look the same. I pour My Love on you every day, but My methods as well as My mercies are new every morning. Do not put Me in a box. I love breaking out of boxes -- the tomb could not hold me! I delight in surprising you! Keep on searching for Me in everything. I AM here with you, showing you the way. 

Do Not Dare Not To Dare!

"Horse, draw near. Nearer still, my son. Do not dare not to dare. Touch me. Smell me. Here are my paws, here is my tail, these are my whiskers. I am a true Beast." (C.S. Lewis, Aslan speaking to Bree in "A Horse and His Boy")

Beloved, I bid you draw near; nearer still! Do not dare not to dare! These words are ringing in your soul. 

Today is a day for celebration, Beloved! We have much to celebrate, for you are making progress. It is My Joy to celebrate progress! You have moved into a new season. Instead of just looking for an opportunity to spend time with Me, you are aware of My Presence throughout the day. Instead of just making an appointment with Me and keeping it, we are restless Lovers, constantly aware of each others' presence and longing to get away to enjoy each other fully in private. So many secret looks, so many longing glances, so many whispered desires and stolen kisses. You no longer have to write your time with Me on your to-do list. You no longer have to sit and wait on Me for My words, for you are bursting with them! When you finally get away with Me to our secret garden, they come pouring out! All the words I have whispered to you in your sleep, in the crazy busy moments, even in the shower. You are bursting with urgency and joy to get these words down!!  

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11)

Listen, Dear Heart! This is not just an admonishment to memorise Scripture, though that is a wonderful thing to do. There is a deeper Truth here. I AM the Word - Living and Active! It is I, Myself, that you hide in your heart. It is I, Myself, who guides you away from sin. 

Get this, My Precious! You do not need to feel guilty about this joyful restlessness, this longing awareness of My Presence and desire for more of Me...this is what you have been asking Me for for years! You are living your dream! And your chronic illness has been used by Me to help bring you to this place!! Ha!! Joy, Beloved! Laugh with Me!

So as you sit and help your son build Lego and give him your "full attention", you need not feel guilt that your heart is restlessly longing after Me! My Presence cannot divide your attention or detract from your presence, it can only enhance your ability to be fully present! I can whisper Truth to you, put words in your mouth for him, love him through you, far more than if you were not longing after Me! Ha ha!! 

I am doing a transformational work in you, Beloved, from the inside-out! It does not happen in the way you expect. I love to spring surprises on you. Ha! Suddenly all those worries seem ludicrous!! Let's laugh at some of them together...

"I need to do better at parenting." Ha ha! Beloved, just be with Me and let Me parent through you. 

"I need to feel better before I can reach out to others." Ha ha!! Beloved, just be with Me and let others see this journey you are on - who wouldn't want this? It is I who draw people to Myself, I will reach out through you. 

"I need to figure out how to journey back to health." Ha ha!! Ummm, hello?? Divine Healer here! Just be with Me and let Me heal you. I am healing you. 

It is all about My Presence, Sweet Heart. I am pruning off all distraction that would disrupt the flow of My Presence in your life, and cultivating habits that increase flow of My Presence in your life. I am the Divine Gardener, but it is your obedience that is allowing Me to do this. I have wanted to do this for years. I have invited you to this by asking you to give up certain distractions for many years, but you were never ready. It is only the rough circumstances of the past two years that have brought you to a place of readiness, Beloved. How you wish you had obeyed and accepted the invitation sooner! 

But do not grieve about this, Beloved! Today is a day for celebrating, a day for joy and laughter! 

Draw near, nearer still! Do not dare not to dare! 

More Fully Alive

I see your disappointment in yourself. How, when you are with Me in this place, it seems so easy, so natural, so necessary! "How could I not do this at least once a day??" But when you are not in this place, it can seem completely impossible! "How could I ever steal away today??"

Search hungrily for opportunities, Beloved! Want it more than everything else! Don't let the foxes eat the buds and blooms! Hunger after Me with all that you are.

Beloved, remember that I celebrate your progress, not "perfection". Please don't hang back in shame when you don't like how you've been acting. You need all the more in these moments to see yourself as I see you...surrendered, Mine, willing, beautiful Bride! You need to keep coming and soaking in this Truth, as you don't yet fully believe it.

The more time you spend soaking in My Presence, the more fully alive you become. Keep coming back, Beloved, as often as you can!

I am opening your eyes to just how much even "harmless" entertainment can cost you, as it serves as a distraction from this place of re-filling. The Life-giving River. The place of Awakening. Reject "entertainment" for nourishment. For soul-restoring, spirit-awakening, life-giving soaking!

Darling, you cannot strive the old man into submission. You are attempting things from completely the wrong angle. Just love on Me, let Me love on you. As you soak in My Presence, My Spirit brings your spirit more fully to life, and to dominance over your old, natural man. You cannot work it into dominance. You can only rest it into dominance, as you connect spirit-to-Spirit with Me.

This is another of My mysteries in My upside-down kingdom. Let's laugh about that together! How fun it is to turn your natural thinking and reasoning on its head!

I am the God of Resurrection. I can bring things to life in you that you feel are lost and gone. I can resurrect motivation, energy, confidence and any number of other aspects of yourself that you miss.

Communion of Our Spirits

I am rooting out the weeds and watering the barren places. I am tending your secret garden with you, so that it is a place that we both love to come to, whenever we get a chance to steal away. 

The enemy has lied to you, telling you that you need entertainment or you will get bored with those mindless tasks on a daily basis. LIE! The TRUTH is that I want to steal away with you at every opportunity, especially during those mindless tasks, as they present a perfect opportunity for communion of our spirits. We never cover all the ground we need to in our time together, so let's grab every chance to speak together. 

This is a revolutionary principle for you, Beloved. It must evoke change.

Easy and Joyful

I lead you in this dance, Beloved. You know how good and how easy it is to dance well in the arms of a skilled dancer and gentle leader. Surrender to My leading and all striving will cease. This is your tool for breakthrough, My Precious One! Lean into My arms, and I will sweep you around the floor, and through the difficult moments, with such joy rising in your spirit. 

I can dance you through brain fog. I can dance you through debilitating fatigue. I can dance you through migraines. I can dance you through homework and children's tantrums and fights and whinging. I can dance you through stressful morning routines and double drop-offs so that it feels easy and joyful! 

As you follow My lead, the tension will leave your body, you will relax, and I will show you new things. My dance can turn the drab, grey days into full-colour. It will create opportunities for you to connect with your kids and your husband in ways you long for. 

Dance with Me, Beloved!

Keep Dancing

Remember that revelation that I gave you last year, how dancing with Me could carry colour and joy into every activity of your life. The enemy has tried to steal that revelation from you with all the hard circumstances you have faced in the past six months. 

Consider this: if you do not want to lose that connection with Me through a day, do not choose activities that I would not wish to dance through. Sometimes your choices of entertainment are not "harmless" because they distance Me. Keep dancing with Me, through each moment of each day. When you are feeling stressed and when you are letting your natural man rule, close your eyes and picture us dancing again. Let your spirit man be in the forefront. Let My Spirit guide you. 

There is no circumstance that you face that cannot be danced through. When you lose the connection and find yourself in beggar's rags, sulking and tantrumming, wallowing in the pit of self-pity, just look to Me and I will take your hand, pull you out, clean you and dress you again in Strength and Dignity, and begin the dance where we left off.

Dignity and Strength

Beloved. Get up off of the ground - do not wallow in your shame! Stand, receive My forgiveness and forgive yourself as freely.

You cannot hate yourself without hating Me, for My Name dwells in You! Step forward into the destiny that I have for you. You are a daughter of the King of Kings! You are not a beggar child, and should not conduct yourself as such.

Remember to walk in Dignity and Strength - I have given you these as robes to wear. Do not exchange your royal robes for torn rags.

As you weary, draw aside to Me. Do not just throw yourself down in the middle of the road to be trampled. Come aside with Me and renew your strength in My Presence.

I love you, My Beloved. Rest in My Love!

A Surrendered Mess

I see your sorrow, your disappointment in yourself, your body, your emotions. I see your weariness. Hating yourself does no good! It does not help your family. It does not help you function! 

Look to Me and see the grace I offer. Come stand under the shower of Grace. Let it wash away self-reproach and self-hatred. My Grace is sufficient for you! My Power is made perfect in weakness. This is how I can best use you, Beloved! Weak, barely able to stand, but surrendered!

I don't want you to do, I want you to be. Be a surrendered mess for Me. I will use you without your awareness to minister to others. I will minister through you. It is My Spirit who works, not you. Just be, My beautiful mess. Let Me do the rest. 

You will move forward through one surrendered step at a time. Many are the plans of a person's heart, but the Lord directs her steps. Keep your eyes fixed on Me, Beloved. Surrender your body, spirit, soul, mind to Me every day and watch Me guide your steps. Even in the chaos, confusion and brain fog, I help you make the right decisions. Stop second-guessing, and just trust Me. I can break through your brain fog. I can redeem your tears.

Flourishing Oasis

Beloved, My Treasure, rest in My Love. Trust Me with the details. I've got this - every element of this! Surrender every fear, every desire to control your circumstances, every sorrow. I can contain all of your emotions, no matter how big or how messy! I AM your safe place. I will never leave your or forsake you. 

Trust Me - not only that I can get you through this difficult time, but that I can turn the desert into a flourishing oasis!

A Clear Mind

Beloved, I see you struggle with chaotic thoughts. It doesn't have to be this way! I have so much more for you. It is my desire for you to live with a clear functioning mind. I want you to have a mind ruled by peace, not chaos. I want to show you how this is done, but you need to stop your obsession with distraction. I know this obsession is driven by fear - fear of being alone with your thoughts. You need not fear your thoughts as I am with you. I commune with you in your thoughts! There is no need for fear here!

I want to show you just how different a day can be when you spend it communing with me. Each one of your distractions costs you in ways you don't realise. Consider all the words of peace I am speaking to you that you cannot hear over the TV program. Consider all the words of wisdom I am dropping into your heart that you cannot access when you keep your heart busy. It's revolutionary, Beloved. Try it tomorrow, test it and see!

Just Listen

Listen. I know that you are fretting about many things these last few days. Every time you plan to come away with Me, you are interrupted. I know, Beloved. I hear your fretting. In the  moments you grab to be with Me, you feel that you are not getting any answers. Just listen.

When your baby is fretting, what do you do? You hold her to your chest, where the sound of your heart beat and the sound of your  breathing calms and relaxes her. This is the safest place on earth for her!

Listen. Rest your head on My chest and listen to My heart beat. Listen to My breathing, and just relax. This is the safest place on earth for you, Beloved. Just listen.

Consistency and Constancy

Discontent. A telltale sign that your eyes have slipped from My Face to your surroundings. Your salvation is not in how clean you keep your house! you are already saved by My sacrifice, Beloved. 

When your eyes slip from My Face, you all-too-easily start believing the enemy's lies: "You will be happy if you can just...keep your house clean/ run a successful business/ raise obedient and charming children/ be fit and healthy..." All of these are lovely, but will not satisfy your heart's longing. 

This is not a new message, My dear. But I will repeat it until it sinks in. Until a habit is formed. And then, I will repeat it again because there will always be distractions. Fix your eyes on Me!

You long for consistency and constancy in your good habits. Remember the adage, "Live with them, get like them"? Well, the more time you spend in My Presence, the more you take on My characteristics. It's that simple! I am the one Constant of the universe. Spend time with Me and you will grow in constancy. Not through striving, not through your own strength, but by the power of My Presence.