A Son's Obedience

Rest into wellness today, Beloved - rest and rejoice, even before you feel well. Sing and declare healing over yourself and your family. Embrace the lovely rest day in My Presence. Refuse to be disappointed or discouraged - just rest in Me and enjoy My Presence. 

You are moving into friendship wtih Me, but you are also My Beloved Child. Just as there is an element of friendship between grown child and parent, yet there is still a parental relationship. As you grow up in Me, there are times I need to discipline you, yet there are also times of genuine sharing heart-to-heart. 

As you grow in revelation of who you are in Me, you will see just how much I love you - your personality, likes, dislikes, preferences, talents, hobbies, pursuits and your will. Yes, I will share secrets with you and allow you to influence Me. We parter together - I gave you your unique personality and I love it! I do not want you to give that up - just to give up all expressions of sin nature that is already dead. That is the pruning of the branch - as you give yourself up to the process, I can activate aspects of your personality that have lain dormant. You can discover whole new personality traits that you never knew you had! This is Me giving you a new name and calling out things I see in you that you cannot see yourself. There would be no space for these aspects to grow if I was not pruning you. 

My obedience to My Father is not a slave's obedience, but a son's obedience, flowing from Love and intimacy. My Father does not threaten Me or intimidate Me into obedience - it gives Me joy to humble Myself and do what He wills. The greater your level of intimacy with Me, the more I can share My reasons behind what I ask of you. In coming to earth, I knew what the Father wanted Me to do...but I also knew why. It was this that enabled Me to suffer immense pain adn torture - for the joy set before Me! I understood why My Father asked this "impossible" task, and yielded Myself to His will out of Love for Him and Love for you! 

As you can see, it's all about Love! Growing in Love for Me, as you spend time soaking in My Word and in My Presence, and gazing on Me throughout the day...this Love will naturally overflow to others. The more you gaze on Me, the less you gaze on yourself. I want to release you into new levels of freedom and power, but this comes with less thinking about yourself, not more! These changes began in earnest as you let Me show you how I see you - perfectly loved and perfectly righteous! The beauty of this new identity is that it is founded entirely upon grace - how I see you, through no goodness or work of your own! Yet it is so much more amazing than you could dream up or believe on your own. As you really believe all I say about you, you are released to live more freely and fruitfully than ever before. Self-promotion is not an issue, as you know you are what you are entirely by God's grace.

 

Contending For Victory

Come enter My rest, Beloved. I long to soothe your aching head and kiss your stinging eyes! I am so proud of you for continuing to stand firm against the sins of thoughts and words - being vigilant about not allowing sneaky uninvited guests such as self-pity, discouragement, doubt and guilt to creep in. This is your place of contending for victory - realising that I already have won and declaring that over your circumstances. You do not do this in your own strength, but in the mighty power of Me in you. 

You know that I love to love on your kids through you too. Keep on gazing on Me until you see them through My eyes. 

The feeling of overwhelm which was so familiar just a few months ago is hardly recognisable to you any more. It thrills My heart when you yield every worried or overwhelmed thought immediately as you sense it trying to sneak in the back door of your mind. It is as you yield your worries to Me that I can cause My peace to radiate out of you. Everywhere you go, you radiate My peace, it shifts atmospheres and touches people around you! 

No more "frazzled Mum looking for sympathy", but an peace-filled Mum extending grace and love. Others can see a change in you! They will ask how you do it - don't hold back in sharing the Truth of Jesus Christ, the Hope of Glory! 

Come Play With Me!

Beloved, come play with Me! It is just as important to make time in your day to play with Me, as it is to commune with Me in a more serious way. Come laugh with Me, do some swing dancing, slide down the waterfall then relax into complete rest, floating in the River of Life.

The Place of True Heart-Rest

Love is growing in your heart, Beloved. It really is! I can taste the fruit in your heart garden already. 

Beloved, as you are faithful in listening to My voice, yielding your will and obeying joyfully, there will still be things that don't go the way that you expect them to. This does not mean that you heard wrong. Do not second guess - when I call you to a life of obedience; walking with the Spirit; "moving by the impulses of the Spirit"; "moving to the unforced rhythm  of My Grace" - I call you to follow without questioning and second guessing. Do not let doubt in, even for a moment! If you think you are doubting yourself and whether or not you heard correctly, reject this as a lie of the deceiver, the father of lies; for when you yield to Me, you are trusting that I will show you what to do. Go forward, let the past go, even the past of five miutes ago, and press forward in joyful trust and obedience. Trust that I will show you if there is something that you need to follow up on or make right! 

I call you to rest as a lifestyle! My way is to energise you through My Presence, which is best found in the place of true heart-rest. You are learnign to live from this place of rest. It will become a habit, like breathing!

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how i do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matt 11:28-30 The Msg)

Yielding in Joyful Confidence

In the past, you have often been confused about the issue of healing, but you have been coming at it from entirely the wrong angle. You have been trying to believe for healing without the revelation of what it truly means to be hidden with Christ in God.

Start with yielding in joyful confidence - yielding your will to My will. You will to feel better, but you are no longer a slave to your feelings. While I do not want you to be sick, I can use it. Trust Me completely and yield in joyful, confident trust. 

Stay yielded - acceptance with joy means no grumbling, murmuring, whinging, and not a hint of self-pity. Do not speak out any grumbling words, but also yield every grumbling thought immediately. This is the beginning of healing for you, Beloved! 

You have habitually whinged and moaned, rehearsed your symptom list over and over in your head, and spoken aloud about being sick or feeling miserable. Trust Me for all the details - I know what you have on your schedule - yield joyfully and completely, and trust that I will take care of every detail. 

In the past, your "sick days' have involved binge watching. But no longer! "Rest into wellness days" are days to soak in My Presence and enjoy Me. Take joy in Me, rest in the complete trust that I'm going to take care of all the details. 

Do not be afraid of troublesome thoughts that beset you - yield them to Me, renounce the enemy and praise Me as though I've already worked the healing. For I have, on the cross and breaking out of the tomb - I dealt with all sickness. Now rejoice that the work is done and rest into the outworking! 

When others in your household affect the atmosphere of your home by reintroducing fear, murmuring, blame or shame - allow Me to use you to take back your home for Love's purpose. Do not be afraid of their sin, just yield them to Me in joyful confidence, and sing out My Praise with joy. You can shift the atmosphere for Love just as easily!

Joy flows so naturally from the truly yielded heart. Celebrate this Truth - joy is not dependent on your circumstances or on you feeling good - joy is always available! 

Let Rushing Cease

There are so many things I am teaching you. Do not fret that you will forget it if you do not get a chance to write it down. Trust that I who gave it to you the first time can tell you again when you are ready to write it down. 

Relax into My Love. Breathe Me in deeply. Let all the rushing cease. You have been longing from the moment you woke to come away with Me, and have been searching for an opportunity. Well, here we are! 

There is refreshing in My Presence! Fresh joy for a fresh day, Beloved! My resurrection Life is alive in You! Flesh died, Spirit raised to Life! Rejoice, Beloved!

Keep Pace With Me

Rejoice, Beloved! I am renewing your mind. When you woke early feeling ill in your body, you did not freak out. You listened for My voice and let Me speak to you, speak over your circumstances. Instead of bitterness and despair, you are experiencing joy and peace and even excitement over what I can do! Every trouble or difficulty you face is an opportunity for you to see Me come through for you in new ways! 

Rest, Beloved, and joyfully receive all I have for you this morning. Grace, all-sufficient!

You have worried for the years of this chronic illness (and before) about how to "pace yourself"...My Precious One, you were never intended to pace yourself, but to keep pace with Me! I know exactly how much or how little energy your body can exert in one day, and I will show you. "Listening to your body" works best when you are in tune with Me. The more in tune your spirit is with My Spirit, the more you will know what your body truly needs. 

Armed with all these new revelations, this "sickness" is bound to be a very different experience. Just wait on Me and see what I shall do!

Housework and Parenting From a Place of Rest

Beloved, housework can either be done from a place of self-will, to satisfy your natural desire for control and order; or it can be done from a place of Rest, as a joyful act of worship drawing you deeper into My heart. Isn't this a beautiful mystery?

The same goes for parenting. When you ask your children to do something, the same request can come from a human desire to exert control and order, or it can come from a place of Love and Rest. 

When you do housework, or parent, or do anything else from a place of self-will and desire to exert control and order, you are setting yourself up for stress. You are positioning yourself to receive stress. But when you act from a place of Love and Rest, you are setting yourself up for Peace and Joy! You are positioning yourself to receive more of Me! 

When you tidy the lounge room from a desire to exert control, the process is boring, something you want to distract yourself from to get through. Then the minute the kids come back in and mess it up, you become highly stressed. But when you tidy the lounge room while "dancing" with Me, the process itself is an enjoyable act of worship and communion with Me. You can enjoy the few minutes it is in a clean state, but you can also enjoy watching your kids reveling in the tidiness by playing hard! You are then in a much better heart-space from which to guide them from Love to learn to clean up their messes - because it is an important lesson for them to learn, not because you need them to to in order to regain a shred of order and control. 

This is so freeing, Beloved! The flow-on effect is enormously powerful.

Refilling Rest and Supernatural Sleep

"Lord, I have chosen You alone as my inheritance.

You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.

I leave my destiny and its timing in Your hands.

Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.

I'm overwhelmed by the privileges

That come with following You

For You have given me the best!

The way You counsel and correct me

Makes me praise you more;

For Your whispers in the night give me wisdom,

Showing me what to do next.

Because You are close to me and always available,

My confidence will never be shaken,

For I experience Your wrap-around presence every moment.

My heart and soul explode with joy - full of glory!

Even my body will rest confident and secure.

For You bring me a continual revelation of resurrection life,

The path that brings me to the overflowing joys;

Of the exquisite and eternal pleasures

Of gazing upon Your face."

(Psalm 16:5-9,11 TPT)

 
See this new thing I am teaching you, Beloved...the refilling Rest. So often, being out and about around people exhausts and drains you. When you get home, you distract yourself. This is not rest. Last night when you came home, you could hardly wait to get alone with Me. This is the place of refilling. If being out with people empties you, you need refilling, not distraction. Distraction does not necessarily drain you, it just serves to delay refilling. If you then go to bed, expecting sleep to refill you - well then, a lot is riding on you getting a good night's sleep! Which actually sets you up for bitterness and frustration in the night or early morning when you are inevitably woken by child or husband. You have seen this spiritual issue as a natural one, Beloved. I am showing you a new perspective! 

I am teaching you to sleep from a place of Rest. Your sleep can be so much more restful when you sleep from Rest! I am showing you what it means to have Supernatural Sleep. You have asked for this for years, but like all things in the spiritual realm, it is a mystery to your natural mind. I am revealing glimpses to you now. You cannot force supernatural sleep, but you can cultivate an atmosphere that invites it, as you connect spirit to Spirit with Me. 

During sleep, your mind processes your day's activities, so if you have been continually connected with Me through the day, your sleep will be steeped in My Truth and revelation. You are seeing this as you come to through the night, worship is on your lips. Your dreams are filled with Me. When you wake in the morning, your first thought is of Me and you cannot wait to get down on paper the revelations from the night, and the fresh Truth for the morning! 

Fruits of the Holy Spirit

The streams of Living Water are flowing out of you. Your family will benefit. They get the immediate flow-on effect. They are splashed by the water. 

"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruits fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:12)

Your family will be fed by the fruit growing by the sides of the River of Life...

"The fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its various expressions. This love is reveal through:

Joy that overflows,

Peace that subdues,

Patience that endures,

Kindness in action,

A life full of virtue,

Faith that prevails,

Gentleness of heart, and 

Strength of spirit."

(Galations 5:22-23, TPT)

These fruits are nourishing your family and the leaves are bringing healing. All you need to do is keep on resting in Me, letting Me tend this garden. For I am the Divine Gardener, it is I who makes them grow by My Life-Giving water that flows in you. 

No more guilt over not doing or being enough. No more self-loathing over living inconsistently with your values! Just keep coming to Me, that is the one thing that is needful on your part...the rest is the flow-on effect; My gift of Grace! No more striving, no more stress! Just yielding in sweet surrender to your Lover. 

Tend Your Body

Though you have woken this morning feeling sick in your body, do not be mad with your body for failing you, Beloved. Your body is a temple for My Holy Spirit. You have been tending the inner place of this temple (the sacred garden) so carefully, and this please My heart enormously. 

Tend your body, My temple, with as much care. Listen to what it needs and be gentle with it. If it is telling you it needs rest today - then rest! This is an act of worship to Me too, Dear One. 

Lay here in My arms, resting in sweet, trusting surrender. I cover you with Love as a blanket. Let any thoughts of things that need to be done float up to Me. Breathe in My Spirit breath. Breathe out stress. Rest and sleep held in My Love. 

Birthing New Lovers

"How beautiful on the mountains are the sandaled feet of this one bringing such good news.

You are truly royalty! 

The way you walk so gracefully in my ways displays such dignity.

You are truly the poetry of God - His very handiwork.

Out of your innermost being is flowing the fullness of my Spirit - never failing to satisfy. 

Within your womb there is a birthing of harvest wheat; they are the sons and daughters nurtured by the purity you impart. 

How gracious you have become! 

Your life stands tall as a tower, like a shining light on a hill. 

Your revelation eyes are pure, like pools of refreshing - sparkling light for a multitude.

Such discernment surrounds you, protecting you from the enemy's advance.

Redeeming love crowns you as royalty.

Your thoughts are full of life, wisdom, and virtue.

Even a King is held captive by your beauty. 

How delicious is your fair beauty; it cannot be described as I count the delights you bring to me.

Love has become the greatest...

For your kisses of love are exhilarating, more than any delight I've known before.

Your kisses of love awaken even the lips of sleeping ones to kiss me as you have done."

(Song of Songs 7:1-6,9)

Beloved, I am preparing to birth new Lovers through your life. They will be drawn to Me through the Love they see in you. Do not be surprised at this, as though I could not possibly use you, for this is what you are here for! This is your very purpose. I call you to the high places for this reason. 

As you tend your inner garden and see new fruits growing and see the River of Living Water flowing out, rest in the knowledge that it is I who does the work of drawing others to Myself. You just keep on drawing near to Me, follow My lead in this dance, and I will draw them. When they come, just love them from this place of Rest. 

You must not make this into work, into a burden of stress. When I bring others, it may appear as an inconvenient interruption, but let Me lead the dance. Trust Me, keep hold of My hand and dance colour and Life with Me. 

I will show you what to do. Refuse to fear the unknown. My Perfect Love drives out fear. Rest here a while longer in My Perfect Love until you are ready to face this new day!

What Is Needful

I want to transform the way you do your planning, Dear One. So often you plan in the natural, from a place of stress. I want you to trust Me so much that you can leave all the details in My hands long enough to come aside with Me. Your planning will be much more efficient and effective if you have been soaking in My manifest Presence. You will have a clearer mind, and I will show you what is needful and what is a waste of your limited time and energy.

When you review your diary and do your planning with Me, you will see your whole week differently. You need not fear a week that"big" on paper. You need not fear a weekend without your husband around to help. When you plan from a place of Rest in My Presence, it comes naturally to trust Me with the details. Your anxiety about the problem is more of a problem than the problem. When you trust Me with the details, even if your circumstances end up being difficult, you will still be so much better off for not having carried that load of stress around in the lead-up!! 

As you go about your day, I will show you what is needful. As you do your daily chores with joy in your heart, everything changes! Such a flow-on effect that you cannot even begin to imagine. Smiling while doing housework will reduce tension in your face and neck, which will mean less headaches, less neck pain, less clenching and grinding at night...and these are just a few of the benefits! 

Joy in Me, Beloved! I am making all things new!

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.

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!

Here in the River

Here in the River, your spirit is free to be One with Me! You sense the complete freedom from stress, the utter joy as your spirit dives into the depths of the River of Life, twirling, swimming, leaping and twisting. 

This is rest, Beloved. Rest is not passive, lying around all day. This is active rest. This is the rest that restores your spirit and your body. This is the rest you crave every day. And here it is, constantly available to you. 

I hear you ask Me, "Do you like me?" Yes! Beloved, I delight in your presence! That joy you feel as you dance in the River - My Spirit takes the same joy in you! Yes, really! 

This place of active rest holds the greatest adventures you can imagine. This is the source of your energy and strength, here in My River of Life. My Presence! This is what is missing from your daily routine...diving into the River. 

Moses did not believe what I said about him. He did not trust that I could speak through him. He had thoughts in his head about himself that I did not have about him - he sold himself short of what I had for him, and it cost him later. 

You cannot afford to have thoughts in your head about yourself that I do not think about you. Reject those thoughts as lies from the enemy of your soul!

Your Pillow, Your Blanket, Your Cosy Nook

Do you still trust Me, Beloved? Even though the way ahead is so unknown? Do you still trust Me, though the plan keeps changing at the last minute? Do you still trust Me, even though your body seems to fail you? 

"My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!" (Psalm 73:26)

Beloved, find your place of rest in Me. I am your pillow, your blanket, your cosy nook. You don't need to "hold it together" for Me! Run to me as you used to run to your bed when you were in trouble as a child. Find your safe place in Me, as you used to cocoon yourself in your sheet. I am your safe place of rest, hide yourself in Me. Let your sobs out, don't hold them in. Let your body release the stress and tension of this week and just let go! The longer you stay here with Me, the stronger your conviction of My Strength and My Love will be! 

Rest and soak up My Presence, Beloved!

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!

Sit With Uncertainty

You just want to know all of the answers right now. But this is a time of uncertainty, a time of waiting, a time of leaning into Me. You are desperate for answers; the not knowing is causing you such anxiety, yet you seek answers in the natural realm. I have all the answers, you should know this by now. I have all the answers, I see every minute of your future and yet I don't let you know too much in advance.

Rest in Me, beloved. Sit with the uncertainty - breathe into it, just sit and breathe and rest in Me.

I am with you.  Know this Truth with your whole being. What would you do if you knew her surgery date right now? Would you suddenly become calm? Would you have no stress at all? Would you know exactly what to do about child care arrangements, about sorting out all the issues that are weighing on your mind? No, you would be even more anxious, wouldn't you? Your mind would be buzzing trying to sort out every last detail. Is that helpful? So much could change between now and then. You just have to trust Me with the details. I've got this. Really, I do! 

You have asked Me to help you learn to manage stress better. Well, Beloved, this is it! This is a perfect opportunity for you to learn to manage stress! Just lean into Me and trust Me with the details. That is all I ask. It is no use wasting your energy worrying about these things that you cannot control and you cannot change.

I see you struggling to move from the intellectual understanding of this concept to the actual living of this. You need to carve out time in your day to rest in Me. Any time will do. I am here, available 24/7. Every moment you can grab to lean into Me will be worth it. Every moment will count, every time you lean into Me instead of bearing this burden on your own shoulders - every time will lighten your load. You worry about the impact this added stress is having on your health. Well listen to this, Beloved - you can lessen the impact by leaning into Me. But I can do better than this! I can actually help you improve your long-term health by the lessons you learn about how to manage your stress during this difficult time. Do you believe I can?

Believe it or not My sweet, I have big plans for you! I really do. I know this time has been incredibly hard for you, but I do care! I do love you, so very, very much! So for now, let's sit with the uncertainty and just be.

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

Beloved, do not be dismayed by this fresh sickness. Here I am hijacking your plans for today. You need rest, and if you will not make time for rest, then I will make sure you do. Slow down, Beloved. Rest easy in Me. 

I know you feel overwhelmed. Swamped by the bare basics of life. This is the perfect opportunity for you to lean into Me. 

Come to Me, and I will give you rest. Yes come to Me, and I will give you rest. 

Rest in the middle of your busyness; rest in the middle of your sickness;

Rest in the middle of all this mess; rest from all of your stress. 

Come to Me, and I will give you rest. Just come to Me, and I will give you rest.