Sit and Just Wonder

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

It is good for you to take time to sit and just wonder at My works. 

Like opening a treasure box and slowly taking out each precious gem, one at a time, admiring each one. This practice stirs up gratitude in your heart that cannot and ought not be contained. Let this gratitude spill over into songs of praise and thanksgiving to Me. 

Remember, dear one, how I carried you through difficult months. Remember how I healed your girl's broken heart through creative miracle AND medical intervention. Remember, wonder, and thank Me on a regular basis. Let the tears of gratitude flow, and don't hold back!

Open the Gates

"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs...Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:2,4

Beloved, you know by now that thanksgiving opens the gates to My Presence; praise ushers you into the courts of My Presence. It does your heart good to worship Me with gladness, especially when your heart is downcast. 

Do not be discouraged by the appearance of your circumstances, but know that I am God; it is I who made you, you are Mine, the sheep of My pasture. I am Good, and My Love endures forever; My Faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:3,5) 

Dwell in this Truth. This is the irrefutable Truth that your Hope is securely anchored to. Speak it out, sing it out, shout it out - declare your agreement with it! Make this your daily practice - start each day with joyful songs of praise to Me. 

"That Makes Me Smile!"

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,  to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night... For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord;  I sing for joy at the works of your hands." Psalm 92:1-2,4

What joy it gives you when your children praise you for your deeds - deeds that you do every day, often without acknowledgement. What delight it gives your heart when your young child thanks you for something specific that you do for him - especially when he says: "Thanks Mummy, that makes me happy! It makes me smile!"

How you love to make your children smile! And how much sweeter when they recognise and thank you for it. 

Oh My dear one - so it is with Me. I delight to hear your praise! What joy it gives Me to hear you say thank You! Especially when you share a smile with Me. So many ways each day I seek to bring a smile to your face. See how many you can spot today! And don't forget to thank Me, and sing for joy!

Receive

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

There is a craving in you that cannot be satisfied by anything but My unfailing Love. How I long to satisfy you each morning with My unfailing Love. Come to Me in your emptiness, your heart-hunger. Come to Me with open hands and open heart to receive My Love afresh each new morning. 

As you receive, you cannot help but be filled with joy and gratitude. Let your heart respond by pouring out praise and thanksgiving to Me all day long. 

Learn To Acclaim

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exalt in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, by your favour you exalt our horn." Psalm 89:14-17

Walking in the Light of My Presence is something you must practise, dear one. You must learn to acclaim Me, to rejoice in Me all day long! This is a discipline that does not come easily at first. Especially when you are faced with many trials - your heart does not naturally rejoice in sickness and strife! But you are learning to walk in My ways, by the Light of My Presence. I AM your Strength, Beloved, but only as you yield your weakness to Me, remember. 

Practise rejoicing in Me all day long TODAY! Make this your number one focus today. As your other plans have been cancelled due to sickness, grab hold of this opportunity to spend THIS DAY continually turning your heart-eyes back to Me, and speaking out praise and thanksgiving to Me. The sooner you start taking this mandate seriously, the sooner it will become a blessed habit in your life. 

Hasten the Sunrise!

"O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you." Psalm 84:12

Everyone trusts in something or someone. For many people, it is science, "the laws of nature" and the tangible world. For others, it is the principle of "karma", or some vague higher being. Some people trust only in themselves, others trust only in someone else. But blessed is the person who trusts in Me! 

I am the only one who is 100% trustworthy. Everything and everyone else will let you down sooner or later - but this is no reason to get bitter or shut yourself off from others. Just accept that I am the only 100% trustworthy one, and do not burden others by trying to expect from them what can only be given by Me. 

I AM completely trustworthy! This is why you can praise Me in the midst of deep distress. You can say, like David, "I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." (Psalm 69:29-30)

To the world, this seems counter-intuitive and just plain crazy! It is, in fact, your best response to difficulty. Sing your way through every storm. Sing like never before. Sing with all your heart into the night. Declare the coming dawn! Your songs of joy and thanksgiving to Me will push back the darkness and hasten the sunrise!!!

Treasure Hunt

Too often, Beloved, you count your troubles. They seem so many, and you want to count them to compare with "normal", to see if you are particularly stricken at the moment. When other people comment on the number of troubles that are besetting you at present, you feel justified in wallowing in that mucky pit of self-pity for a while. 

Counting your troubles - or recounting them to others - will only leave you feeling hard-done-by and stricken. This is not at all helpful. 

Like the Psalmist, say: "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone." (Psalm 71:14-17)

This is an act of your will - you can choose to count and recount My mighty deeds rather than your troubles. Practise this in your own thoughts, aloud in your home, and with you husband and children. 

You know the psychological phenomenon that what is foremost in your mind is what you will notice most. When you were newly pregnant, you suddenly saw pregnant women everywhere. This phenomenon can work for you or against you. At the moment, your mind is set on the troubles you seem to keep encountering. I want to shift your mind's setting to seeing Me at work in your circumstances. 

I want each day to be like an exciting treasure hunt for you. That you would be on the look-out for My hand at work, and that you would excitedly proclaim My mighty deeds to those around you - that you would not be able to keep it in! Gratitude will be a natural response, rather than self-pity. Try it today! 

Never Alone

Surrender your heart to Me completely this morning, dear one. Trust Me fiercely, with all that is in you. Declare My Trustworthiness over your situation. Practise all that I have been teaching you:

• yield your weakness to Me
• lean into My Presence
• sing out My praise
• practise thanksgiving
• fix your eyes on Me
• recite My credentials

Trust Me with your whole heart! I am in this with you. Always remember that I never ask you to face anything alone. I will never leave you nor forsake you. You are never alone.

Run Hard After Me

"Blessed are those who you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple." Psalm 65:4

I am inviting you to live ever close to Me, Beloved. To live each moment in the courts of My Presence.

The more deeply you are aware of your need for something, the easier it is to be truly grateful when you receive it. So remind yourself regularly that you cannot truly live without Me! My Presence gives you life and vitality! So many blessings flow out of My Presence, but the greatest is intimacy with Me. 

You do crave this with all of your being - but sometimes your everyday life distracts you from remembering or realising this. Never stop seeking more of Me, dear one. This is a quest that I delight in helping you with. This is what you were made for. 

Run hard after Me. 

Remember Me

Psalm 78

There is much you can learn from the Israelites, Beloved. Their biggest downfall was their short memory - they forgot My wondrous deeds, My Power at work in their lives. They lived too much in the present, and forgot to recite My Mighty works to themselves and their children...this led to their distrust, doubt and unbelief. Their hearts were not loyal to Me. They did not believe in Me or trust in My deliverance. They lived by sight, rather than by faith. 

"Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer." (Psalm 78:34-35) But it was always short-lived. I would come to their rescue, work wonders to save them, then in their contentment they would forget Me again. "Their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant." (Psalm 78:37)

I crave loyalty in My People, Beloved. It blesses My heart when My dear ones stay true to Me through hardship AND blessing. The secret to keeping your heart loyal is to REMEMBER ME. Human hearts are fickle and quick to forget. I am teaching you to train your heart to remember Me every day. When things are going smoothly, remember Me regularly with thanks and praise. When the ride is rough, remember My character, My Goodness, and this will guard against the traps of self-pity and bitterness. 

It is ALWAYS a good idea to set your thoughts on Me. Remember Me through all your wakings in the night. Remember Me in the joyous moments and in the frustrating ones too. Remember Me in all that you do, and your heart will stay steadfast!

Every Thought Counts

What you allow your mind to rest on really does matter! You cannot spend your time counting your burdens and not have that affect you. You are transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). So be very careful how and where you allow your mind to wander. 

The enemy wants you to believe that you can indulge in "a little harmless self-pity" without it negatively affecting your heart. It's a lie! Every thought counts! Harmful thoughts breed more harmful thoughts and sour your insides. 

How you think directly impacts on how you see the world, and how you see Me. So guard your mind carefully. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) I fit these adjectives perfectly! So remember, if your mind is wandering into enemy territory, fix your thoughts on Me. You will find yourself starting to count My wondrous deeds rather than counting your troubles. This is infinitely sweeter food for your soul than the bitter muck that the enemy would try to tempt you with.

My Joy and My Delight

Psalm 57; 1 Samuel 24

You feel that the enemy has sent out fear, self-pity and despair to hotly pursue you. The temptation to give in is always before you. Even in the moments when you are walking with Me in victory, you can see your pursuers after you. 

But I am your refuge. Though self-pity prepares a pit for you to fall into; though fear plans to trap your heart - you are learning to recognise their attempts to trick you, and you are learning to turn this against them! 

When you recognise the enemy's ploys, you can use them as reminders to reconnect with Me. It is My specialty to use for good what the enemy intends for harm! This is My joy and My delight - to thwart the enemy by transforming his attempts to trap you into paths straight into My arms. 

Be on your guard, Beloved. Keep your eyes fixed on Me. Train your heart to be steadfast - sing and make music to Me! Praise Me all through the day! Call to mind My Love, which reaches to the heavens; remember My Faithfulness, which stretches to the skies. Keep your heart fixed on Me. Exalt and lift Me up over every situation you face. I delight in saving you! It is My joy to fulfill My purpose for you!

Firm Foundation

Psalm 61:1-4 "Here my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings."

It seems to you that self-pity is winning the battle today. You are feeling so stuck in the mud; it seems like you are being pelted from every side with muck. The more you try to pull yourself out, the more you feel thwarted. The more you look at the mud all around you, the deeper you sink. Your heart utters the cry, "This is not fair!" and the sinkhole pulls you down deeper. 

Speak out My Name in your desperation! Lift your eyes above the muck and mire, and search for My Face. 

Self-pity is telling you that there is nothing to thank Me for today. Reject that lie! Start by thanking Me for who I AM:

• Your strong tower
• Your Rock 
• Your Strength
• Your Salvation
• The King of kings and Lord of lords
• The provider of all your needs
• Perfect Love
• Wisdom above all others
• Creator of the Universe
• The Resurrection and the Life
• Death-crusher
• The Comforter
• The Alpha and the Omega

This Truth never changes. As you recite My credentials, your eyes find My Face. Now I can pull you from the miry pit and set your feet on the Rock. I AM your firm foundation. Continue to add to your list of things to thank Me for throughout this day. This will help you to keep your eyes fixed on Me. 

Look To Me

As you come to Me in all your weakness and inadequacy, asking for answers to each of your problems, you wonder why you still feel so burdened and weak. Dear one, look to Me! Lock your eyes with Mine, and notice how your perspective immediately shifts! I AM the answer to your problems. As you fix your eyes on Me and spend time loving Me and pouring out your heart in thankfulness for all I am, you no longer focus on your problems, your inadequacies, your weakness. 

I do want you to feel free to ask Me for anything, My darling. The difference is, when you do it from that place of being absorbed by all the muck, being stuck in the awareness of the problems, your requests come in the form of pitiful whinging and moaning! But when you ask Me for things while sitting in My lap and staring into My eyes, your requests come in the form of confident trust, and joyful expectation of an answer. 

When your heart is fixated on who I AM instead of on your problems, you realise how easy it is for Me to meet your needs! And you realise that I already want to! By asking from the place of confident trust, you are coming into agreement with what I want for you. 

As situations arise during your day that pull your eyes off of Me and back to your problems - practice Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a short-cut into My Presence. Enter My courts with Thanksgiving, and My gates with Praise. If you are so stuck in the problem that you cannot find something to thank Me for, start by thanking Me for My Presence, and the way that I gave My very Life to open up the access for you. 

Guard Against Self-Pity

Continue to be on your guard against self-pity. Feeling sorry for yourself, however justified it seems, is just not helpful! Wallowing in self-pity leaves your heart muddy, and your soul downcast. Do not seek others' pity, either. This does not mean that you ought to bottle up your sadness, though. 

When you are feeling sad, bring it to Me. Pour your heart out, cry all the tears you need to - but don't leave it at that! Follow David's example from Psalms (e.g. Psalm 42)...speak out Truth and Hope! Declare My Goodness! Sing out praise for My Faithfulness! Recite the ways that I have come through for you in the past. List the ways I have come through for others. Call to mind all the ways I am showing you that I am with you now. 

Delight yourself in Me, in all the wonder of My unfailing and relentless Love. Why wallow in self-pity, when you can dance in My Love instead? Lift up your heart-eyes to My Face. Your soul will be satisfied and lifted up.

Practise Thanksgiving

You are becoming more aware of My Presence with you throughout each day. But do not grow lazy in seeking Me. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Practise thanksgiving...I know it is flowing naturally from you as a result of how grateful you feel for My Presence and My Words to you. But don't stop there. Press in in giving thanks. Give thanks not only for what you have seen Me do, but also for what I am about to do. Notice the joy this stirs in your heart. 

When circumstances arise during your day that seem unpleasant, difficult, or just plain annoying, give thanks for who I AM, and for My Presence with you. I am not asking you to give thanks for the trials, but give thanks that I AM always with you, walking you through each situation that you face. 

This helps you to keep your eyes fixed on Me, and not on your problems. When you focus your eyes on your problems, you go straight into DIY mode, and you freak out! Keep your eyes fixed on Me, and you need not fear, though "tens of thousands assail you on every side." (Psalm 3:6)