Walking through Darkness

Today’s writing from “My Utmost for His Highest” is so true and penetrating. I have included it here first in its entirety, then I elaborate on each section below. Blessings to you today as you find your song in the dark.
The Discipline of Hearing
Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops —Matthew 10:27
Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into “the shadow of His hand” until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2). “Whatever I tell you in the dark. . .”— pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood— darkness is the time to listen. Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.
After every time of darkness, we should experience a mixture of delight and humiliation. If there is only delight, I question whether we have really heard God at all. We should experience delight for having heard God speak, but mostly humiliation for having taken so long to hear Him! Then we will exclaim, “How slow I have been to listen and understand what God has been telling me!” And yet God has been saying it for days and even weeks. But once you hear Him, He gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart— a gift that will always cause you to listen to God now.
-Oswald Chambers
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Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him.
When most people enter into a “darkness” in their lives, they immediately begin the process to eliminate the darkness. They try to borrow money if it is a money issue, they head to the doctor first if it is a health issue, they retaliate if they have been betrayed, just to name a few. When people truly walk with God, they WILL walk through darkness, in numerous areas, at numerous times. When our first resort is to remove the darkness, we will find that we will keep meeting up with that same darkness over and over and over again. When God desires to purify us through some darkness, He will not quit until we have walked through the darkness instead of around it or over it.
Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into “the shadow of His hand” until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2).
There are some songs that can only be sung in the dark. Most of us know Fannie Crosby. She wrote over 8,000 songs one of which is, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Fannie was born in NY to poor parents. When she was just six weeks old, she became sick and developed inflammation in her eyes. The doctor who attended her tried a procedure that failed, leaving her blind. Her father died when she was one year old so her mother and grandmother raised her, teaching her the Christian faith and requiring her to memorize long Bible passages. She did marry and had one child, who died at two months old. Her life was filled with darkness yet she always praised God, and her 8,000 songs prove it. She later said, “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.” Oh, my goodness…she would not accept it?? What could she know that we don’t? Think, for a moment, of the darkest time of your life. If God came to you today and said that if you wanted Him to, He would remove it from your life and you would never have experienced it, would you want him to? Our fleshly immediate answer might be, YES!!! But then think for a moment the lessons you learned in that darkness, the patience you were taught, the compassion now you have for others who are walking in that same darkness.
“Whatever I tell you in the dark. . .”— pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there.
For sure, the hardest part…keep your mouth closed??? Your flesh SO cries out for relief, for purpose, for reason, for help, for anything that will give you understanding. I have said to my husband so many times, “Now, tell me again why we had to go there?” Do you have any idea why he is saying to keep your mouth closed while you are there? It is because when you open your mouth to others a myriad of things take place. When you talk to someone who is not used to walking though the dark, they will give you many reasons as to why you don’t deserve this and even tell you all the things you need to do to remedy the situation. It’s called flesh compassion and your eyes will no longer be on your heart, they will suddenly look at your flesh. No different than when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started looking at the wind and the waves…he began to sink as fear consumed him. When you talk to someone who loves you completely, they will hurt for you and have an unrelenting desire to help you in your situation. They don’t want you to hurt or suffer. Don’t you know that if Mary could have, she would have loved to take Jesus, her precious son, right down off that cross and attend to his wounds? But, she knew the bigger picture. She knew that what he was going through was ordained of God and if she interfered in any way, she would not be pleasing to God.
Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood— darkness is the time to listen.
Remain quiet??? Are there times when you shouldn’t remain quiet? Absolutely! He is not talking about acting as if all is well with the world when you are actually dying inside. If the doctor brings back a diagnosis of terminal cancer, you certainly should tell every prayer warrior that you know, and tell them to tell every prayer warrior that they know, to pray. There is nothing wrong with asking brothers and sisters to pray for you when you are in ANY darkness. What IS wrong is for you to give them details of that darkness. You remember the saying, “If God brings you to it, He can bring you through it?” One of our greatest problems is that we don’t give God a chance to “bring us through it!” We cry out the details of our troubles and pain to everyone who will listen, which stirs up not only self pity, but gives opportunity to the enemy to remove all the good and benefit that God had intended for your darkness. This is “speaking in the wrong mood.” Then, we must eventually face the same darkness again, over and over, until we are willing to walk through the nitty gritty of it with God and God alone. This does not mean that we have a problem receiving; it means that we understand the depths of what the darkness is supposed to produce. “Darkness is the time to listen!” When the children of Israel were in the wilderness and had nothing to eat but manna, they began to complain. Yes, God then sent them quail to eat, but “while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague.” Numbers 11:33. If we grumble and complain to others about our darkness, we could end up with a very severe plague! And you can’t “share” the details of your darkness with others under the verbal assumption that you are just telling them so they can pray. God is NEVER deceived by our motives; He knows, and He will act accordingly. You will know when you cross the line of a true prayer request into the details that produce fleshly results.
Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying.
Sadly, the reason so many people head straight to other people, whether those people are live and in person, or in books, is because they are sure that they are not close enough to God to hear the answers they need for themselves. They get all these opinions and solutions; they read all these examples of others that have gone through similar things and what they did; then they act upon what they’ve heard and read. Nothing happens. The remedy does not come. The pain remains. They become very frustrated, sad and even angry, wondering where God is and why He hasn’t helped them….when all the time they have turned Him off and sought answers from “other people.” On the day of Christ’s death, the veil of the temple was torn into two pieces, exposing and opening up the Holy of Holies where ANYONE could now go into the most holy place and meet with God, commune with him, get answers to questions, get solutions to problems, and create that sweet love relationship that He so earnestly desires. THEN, and ONLY then can we know the reason for our darkness and what to do next.
When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.

Do you desire to be a blessing to others? Have you wondered what is your calling? Have you felt powerfully moving messages from others and wondered how they were able to speak such life-giving words? This is the reason! They have done the very thing I am talking about!!! When you emerge from your darkness, you will have a message that no book-learned message can even begin to compare to! You will have a message that carries a life-giving flow of its own…because it was born in the darkness. Why do you think that the entire earth went dark when Jesus died on the cross? Because all sacrifice is given in the dark (not physical, but spiritual). If we are on the mountain and we praise, it is not sacrifice, it is joyous praise. When we are in the darkness, our flesh doesn’t want to praise because of the pain. It is a sacrifice of praise. Before Jesus became our supreme sacrifice, they had to sacrifice bulls and goats for their sins because new life can only come after a sacrifice. We can learn great things from people and books, but they cannot bring new life. Our own walk of darkness is a sacrifice if it is walked seeking only His face. Then, that will render that “precious message” for others after it is over.
After every time of darkness, we should experience a mixture of delight and humiliation. If there is only delight, I question whether we have really heard God at all. We should experience delight for having heard God speak, but mostly humiliation for having taken so long to hear Him!
Do you have any idea why Oswald Chambers was so bold as to say, “mostly humiliation for having taken so long to hear Him?” It is because when God is doing a work in us that requires darkness (teaching, testing or discipline) then, not only is He rooting things out that shouldn’t be there, but He is replacing those things with new light and new direction. This is not an easy process. This process takes time. Our willingness to hear only Him will determine just how much time it takes. Paul asked the Lord repeatedly to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” God said, “No, my grace is sufficient.” Our new light and new direction may not always be the remedy that we desire; it may be the ability to come to terms with a new direction that is less than what we had hoped for. When we arise from any particular “darkness” if we are not humbled by where we have been, we have not submitted to the purging of the Father. If our only emotion is delight that the darkness is over, we have not grown spiritually.
In our present state, we think God won’t take us through great darknesses of difficulty. We reason that God is a good God and He only has good intents for us. The discrepancy here is our definition of good. Which is good?…for us to have a life that clicks here on this earth, or for us to have Christ formed in us? Lazarus sat and begged alms at the gate of the rich man, and yet, the rich man looked up from hell and saw Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham. There are SO many false teachings being taught today that cause us to focus on this life far more than the life to come…and with arrogance and cockiness do these teachers teach them. Speaking of the Prophets and the Priests, the Lord says in Jeremiah 14:15, “And they have healed the brokenness of my people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace, but there is no peace. Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush.” This is saying that all these teachings that sound good, tell you what you should be doing, what you should be saying, are not bringing true peace. Do you long for someone to give you words that will bring true peace? The Lord even goes on to say that these teachers go right on making up their requirements for truth, peace, healing and joy, for one reason. It’s in verse 13. “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.” Please hear me when I tell you that if you listen to ANY teacher and very little, if anything, fundamentally changes in your life because of them, they are false. Don’t be deceived by charisma. Most of these teachers will tell you that you don’t have to suffer and you can simply speak the darkness away. This is a lie and, if you listen, you will go to your grave never having Christ formed in you. There was a reason that Joseph spent 13 years in the dungeon and when he came out, he was second only to Pharaoh! There was a reason that the three Hebrew children had to go to the fiery furnace. There was a reason that Daniel had to sit among lions that, at any moment, could have torn him to shreds (were it not for the holding power of God). There was a reason Job lost everything. There was a reason that Moses had to go to the back side of the desert for 40 years. Make no mistake, Christ will NOT be formed in you without suffering and walks of darkness.
When I was in labor with my second child, I had gone through classes and knew what was coming, which, unfortunately, I did not know with my first child. Lying in the delivery room, breathing in sync, I decided that I was going to hold my breath to see if it really “hurt” as horribly as all those screaming women on TV made it look like it did. I held my breath and immediately, intense pain shot from my head to my toe…greater pain than I have ever experienced. I knew then that my ability to work through this delivery with the least amount of discomfort was to breathe WITH the contractions. Holding my breath was working against them. It is the very same when you are walking through darkness. If you will walk and breathe through the discomfort, seeking God’s face and will completely, you will birth new life. If you don’t, you will come out on the other side depressed, angry or lifeless.
Then we will exclaim, “How slow I have been to listen and understand what God has been telling me!” And yet God has been saying it for days and even weeks. But once you hear Him, He gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart— a gift that will always cause you to listen to God now.

For, you see, God’s REASON for taking us through any darkness is to “bring softness of heart…a gift that will always cause you to listen to God NOW!” The mystery of the gospel is that Christ is formed in us. The only way that Christ can be formed in us is for us to go through times of darkness. Paul said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The only way this can happen is for our flesh to die, just as Jesus did on the cross, so that the spirit can live and grow and thrive. This is how we become like Him.

Finally, the greatest problem most Christians have today is not allowing God to show us great miracles in our lives. That’s the reason we don’t see them anymore. I remember reading a book by Watchman Nee many years ago where he was on an island doing missionary work. The Lord spoke to him one morning telling him to go to the other side of the island because he had a work for him to do there. There was only one way to get to the other side of the island and that was by train. Watchman told the Lord that he didn’t have the money for the train ticket to get there. The Lord repeated his instruction, “Go to the other side of the island.” Knowing the voice of the Lord, he prepared to go. As he approached the line to buy the ticket, he reminded God that he had no money (as if God didn’t know that…aren’t we funny). The Lord kept repeating his instruction. Watchman stood in the line, getting closer to the ticket master, the lump growing in his throat. Just as the man in front of him purchased his ticket, the man’s little girl came running up crying saying, “Daddy, Daddy, come quick, something is wrong with Mommy.” The man turned around to Watchman and said, “Here, you can have my ticket. I need to see about my wife.” Now, Watchman could have gone to numerous friends, I am sure, and borrowed money for his ticket. He could have maybe sold something he had, to buy the ticket. There were a number of things he could have done to take care of the matter himself, but he chose to LISTEN to the voice of God and TRUST that if God told him to go, He would provide the way. I KNOW that God is longing for us to turn to Him and trust Him all the way to the cliff’s edge….just like we encourage our baby to jump into the water from the dock assuring them that we will catch them. Are you willing to jump into the water knowing that your only hope is God’s help? See, we build crutches for ourselves. We have back-ups. We’ll just charge it if we don’t have the money.
When the children of Israel came to the Red Sea, they knew they were going to die. The sea was in front of them and Pharaoh’s army was behind them. They were either going to drown or be slaughtered. If they had had another option of deliverance, don’t you think they would have taken it?? They were scared, just like you and I get when we come to the end of ourselves! Trouble is, that’s the only place that God can pick up and show us His great miracles in our lives. He won’t override our will. When we reach a point that we not willing to miss any more miracles, we will see the waters part and we will have the awesome opportunity to walk across the bottom of the sea on dry ground. Faith means that you completely trust in God’s provision and care in your darkness…and when you come out on the other side, each time you will have new life, a new song, a new joy and a deepened power of the Holy Spirit to speak to others.
I ask you to join me today in choosing to trust God all the way to the ticket master and all the way to the sea. Don’t find ways to remove your darkness. Walk through it seeking God’s great revelation that is hidden there for you. Push your faith. Push your limits. Trust.
May God richly bless you as you labor to find the unhindered voice of Jesus, and sing that song that can only be sung in the dark. (It has a very sweet melody.)

Ten Parts

¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø¸”"”"¤„¤º°°º¤ø ø¤º°¨¨¨°º¤ø ¸„ º°¨¨°º¤ø ¸„ø¤º°¨¨°……….When you travel with Jesus, you look really stupid sometimes. Let me take you on a scenario of thought…let’s just say that God has a ten-part plan for your life, but he can’t give you the whole ten parts at once. Not only would it be overwhelming but it would defeat His purpose of total concentration on each and every part. (When he gave the promised land to the children of Israel, it was certainly flowing with milk and honey, but there were giants on the land that had to be conquered, ONE group at a time.) So, He gives you part one, but you don’t know this is just part one, you don’t know but what this is the ultimate divine purpose for your life. You don’t know that there are nine more parts coming. So you go after it with all your heart thinking that THIS is your place appointed. After a while you realize that it is obviously not THE ultimate plan for your life. It gives you joy, but doesn’t render you the complete fulfillment, fullness of accomplishment or success that you felt it should. So, you finish part one, you’re faithful. You do everything that God has shown you to do. When you come to the end of part one, you’re crying out to God to give you direction and you understand that there must be more. But all your family and friends can see is the grand escapade that what looks like to them, has failed.

 
Then, God gives you part two. You don’t know its part two; you think that it is THE place appointed…that part one was just in preparation for this main purpose. So you pursue part two with all your heart. You work it and drive for it and push to achieve success. And you tell everyone, “Oh, I had to go through part one to prepare me for what I am really supposed to do!” …and it is!…but you don’t know that there are eight more parts. You may not have much money, you WILL look disconnected, you won’t look like you’ve got it all together. You are faithful to fulfill and walk in part two. You work hard, you pour your heart and soul into it, but as you reach the fulfillment of part two, you realize that it is not THE complete divine purpose for your life either. So, you start seeking God about your direction…again. If God had only told you up front that your divine purpose would involve ten parts, you wouldn’t look so ridiculous, but then, that wouldn’t require a walk of faith! So your family and friends are saying, “Really?? I thought the first thing led you to this and now this has flopped too!! None of you know that there is eight more parts!! So, by the time you get to part 6 or 7, you are going to look REALLY ridiculous!! And you travel through each of those parts, most of the time looking like you don’t know what you are doing!!  Most of the time with people saying… “you know, if they’d get a real job”… “what’s wrong with them?”… “if they would quit running off on tangents they would be ok”…“if they would get in the flow of the system, they would have success”… “if they would just create the right vibrations”…“if they would just think the right thoughts”…“if they would just say the right words”… They don’t know that you have purposely, willfully placed every ounce of your being…mind, soul, body, spirit, emotions, will, heart…into the hands of almighty God and that you have made a solid, firm decision to walk in a path that is designed by Him. (But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. 1 Corinthians 1:27) NOBODY knows there’s eight more parts.

 
So, you travel the third part…the fourth part…then by the fifth part, maybe the sixth part, all of a sudden, you begin to get the picture, but you can’t explain it to anybody because now they won’t believe you for sure! They don’t understand what you are doing…they don’t understand your actions, your words, your motivations, your seeming detachment from reality, because you’ve fully chosen not to live in the Matrix…not to just “shut up and consume”…not to just get a job and punch a clock. You’ve chosen to live in the true reality which is your full place appointed in the spiritual kingdom of God, no matter how difficult the journey. Everything in this Matrix we call the earth that shames the name of Jesus or allows the enemy even one ounce of space in someone’s life, is appalling to you! …and you can see it because you have chosen not to walk comfortably in this Matrix. (And the disciples came, and said unto Him, why do you speak unto them in parables?…because they seeing, see not, and, hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand…For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. Matthew 13:10-11 ). You see, there is nothing special about anyone, save that they CHOOSE to open their eyes and ears. But when we become at ease in Zion (Matrix) we render ourselves blind and deaf to reality. We believe the lies, and live and move just as if the lies were truth. We let the media, pharmaceutical industry and religion dictate our path. As you travel past part three, part four, part five, part six, you begin to realize that there is a FAR bigger picture taking place here. All of a sudden, you start “looking” for the next part!! You have reached a point that it doesn’t matter now what folks are thinking and saying; it ONLY matters that you “LIVE” through each part with passion, dedication and faithfulness. Now you know that part six is not the goal, neither is part seven, or even part eight! Suddenly, there is a giant puzzle before you. You see the absolute necessity of each part and how the whole will never be accomplished without the full understanding and commitment of each, individual part. But the world can’t see your puzzle, only you can!! You now know that the whole puzzle is your place appointed and were it not for the full dedication and development of each piece, your place appointed would not be complete. You can try to describe it to others, but the only ones who will be ok with you are those who just simply trust your Godly wisdom and integrity. They really can’t see the magnitude of your place appointed. And to those who don’t know you well, you will look really foolish and irresponsible. “Oh, this is their seventh venture…and they’ve all failed!”… “what’s wrong with them?”…“They need to get their head out of the sand and straighten up!”…“when are they going to learn?”…“when are they going to wise up and get with the program?” Anyone who willfully lives in the Matrix cannot see things of the spirit. They think the Matix is the real world so they have no need to seek another world. They just need to get a job, go to church on Sunday, and eat out on the weekend. Those things are not wrong unless they represent a life of rote. This world is guilty of judging people by how “blessed” they appear to be. If God has blessed them with this world’s goods, then they must be doing something right; if they have no money, bills piling up, family problems, tough times, then they must not be where they should be with God. We think this because of the abominable modern day teachings of prosperity teachers…false teachers and false prophets. There is a reason that God put the story of the rich man and Lazarus in the Bible…(Luke 16)

 
19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent . 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

 
Only those who live by the spirit can even remotely catch a glimpse of what’s going on in your life! No one wants to go with you because you don’t look like you have life together.

 
Then…one day…that old ugly cocoon begins to split and something begins to emerge…still not beautiful. As the moth emerges, it is very vulnerable, at one point hanging upside down, vulnerable to any bird, or animal that might see it. The Lord will have to protect that moth in its vulnerable, unorthodox journey for that moth to actually reach the point of becoming a beautiful butterfly; otherwise it could be destroyed in a moment. And, as the famous story goes that we all have heard, were it not for the struggle, the butterfly would never become the beautiful display it was meant to be. Just like us, without the struggle, we will never be beautiful, and in fact, we will die without even knowing we are dead. We will march to the beat of the Matrix, thinking all the time that we are crossing all our t’s and dotting all our i’s, when, in fact, we are walking dead men. Matters not how much money you have, in fact, the more money you have, the easier it is to buy your way out of the necessary struggle and become a void, bland, and empty soul on an unrewarding journey….all the while living what you think is a rewarding life because you have all the toys. When all the pieces of the puzzle are in place, then the beautiful wings will appear, but even then many won’t see them because they don’t have the eyes to see, and especially because nothing up to that point gives anyone any hope for your progress, development or success. But to those who have eyes to see, you will be more beautiful and more successful than most people they know. Lazarus looked horrible in this physical realm, but in the spirit, he was fully colored with a staggering wing span.

 
So, ultimately, there is only one thing that matters…do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? Is your one day just like all your other days? Do you get up and do the same thing every day that you did the day before? Do you actively seek God’s complete plan for your life? Does God give you direction but you are afraid?…afraid of what people will think…afraid of rocking your boat…afraid of losing a portion of that comfort zone? Other than your security of a comfort zone, do you have any adventures or journeys that bring new joy and enlightenment into your life? I beg you…don’t be among the walking dead! Seek God’s FULL plan for your life. After all, this 80 to 100 years we spend in this Matrix is nothing compared to eternity. Those who live this life without seeking for and allowing Christ to be formed in them will never fly; they will spend eternity drowning in all the vices, excuses and lusts that they chose to walk in here…and they will never die. You have the choice.

I will rise again!

Wow, can’t believe it’s been 6 months since I have posted to my blog! Sometimes life just doesn’t allow for things that you find commonplace in other settings of life. Reading back over my last post, I find that my battles today have taken on a somewhat different form, but are still there nonetheless. I have made great strides walking into a new place of rest in the middle of the storm. It doesn’t come easy, but it does come if we keep seeking. I am thankful today for the knowing that every day of my life is for a positive purpose in my shaping, both good and bad days. I learn something from every one and I take a few more steps toward that mark of the prize of the high calling…that Christ is truly formed in me. My joy is beginning to rise again. These last two years have been the toughest of my life, but that’s o.k., because the wisdom I have gained from them is embedded deep within my soul. I have reached a point that now I can begin putting my thoughts and inspirations on paper, so I hope by this time next year I will have some powerful volumes of wisdom to share with the world. I am thankful for true family, true friends and the ever-present love of the Father. Please pray with me for three little girls in my life. There is a prayer chain at 3:30 every afternoon that lifts them up, please join us if you can. Blessings to you as you travel your journey. I pray great wisdom and insight for you as well. ~Rita

Christmas Eve…

Christmas Eve…can you believe it?  Where has the year gone?  My refection of 2010 leaves me with much difficulty and pain…the worst I can ever remember.  BUT, as I have always said, and truly believe, painful times are the most wisdom granting (if you will allow them to be).  For it’s through our pain that we dig deeper into who we are, who we have been and who we want to become.  It’s through our pain that we find out more of who God is.  I don’t want to just see the acts of God..I want to know the ways of God…that only comes by crying out to Him and sitting at His feet.  It can come no other way.  It’s one thing to read about the three Hebrew Children in the fiery furnace; it’s quite another thing to stand in one of your own.  You gain knowledge by reading; you gain wisdom by experiencing.  Again, I want to know the ways of God, not just read about His acts.  This is why the mighty men of God were mighty men of God…because they walked through hell to gain heaven.  Abraham was the wealthiest man on earth but not because he said all the right words or thought all the right thoughts.  It was because he was in right standing with God and loved him so much that he was willing to take the life of his own son (as God had done) if that was what God required of him.  As he raised the knife, the angel stopped him.  It was all a test…to see if Abraham loved God with all his heart.

What do you love with all your heart?  Money, family, position, prestige, your goals, etc?

I find it intriguing that our world has evolved into a “Happy Holidays” celebration of the birth of Jesus.  Many can’t say Merry Christmas but we wouldn’t have the celebration if that tiny baby were not born in the first place.  It really is ridiculous that anyone with reasoning ability would take someone else’s birthday and say it can no longer be your birthday; I’m going to make it my celebration.  I am going to take all your well-wishes from everyone, all your presents and all your joy and I’m going to use it for my own celebration and gain.

It’s mind boggling that if it had not been for the birth of that tiny baby, the very stores that won’t say Merry Christmas do the majority of their yearly income in the 6 weeks of this blessed time.  Be warned, Jesus will not be one of your idols; you cannot use Him for your own benefit.  The enemy will deceive you into thinking you can, but there are plenty of examples in the Word to show that God’s wrath is every bit as big as His love.  Folks just don’t want to talk about that side of Him; it messes up their fabricated, worldly love message, which is deceptive and empty.

Do you feel empty today, even though there are tons of packages under your tree?  Do you feel something is truly missing but you don’t know what it is?  Are you tired of keeping up the appearance of  love, joy, peace and happiness, when none of them have root in your life?  Let me tell you, there IS a peace that passes all understanding.  There IS a joy unspeakable and full of glory.  There IS a happiness that overshadows all pain and will stick with you even in the most desperate of times.  There IS a love that will NEVER die.

I hope you find it at this beautiful season of 2010.  It is there.  Don’t pull yourself up by the bootstraps and try to live another year keeping up with the “Joneses.”  You may accumulate houses, cars, money and things, but the ONLY joy is in finding “the mystery of the gospel…and that is…Christ formed in you.”

Much love and blessing as you walk your journey and I hope to walk with you along your way.  ~Rita

P.S. I want to recommend the two greatest books of all time to you…My Utmost for His Highest and Pilgrim’s Progress.  If you are serious about finding out the true mysteries of the Universe, there is no better place to start.  I have a small blurb about them on my website.  Just go to the Arts link and scroll down.