Hearing from God

I received three separate messages today from three different pastors...one in the morning, before church...another in church, and a third on my way to work.  Every single one had the same exact message.  I highly doubt these three pastors got together and coordinated their sermons.  God literally aligned these three messages to speak directly to me.  Even the prophetic word, directly from God, during service, revealed the same message.

"All things work together for the good of those who love Him..." 

~Romans 8:28  

ALL things work TOGETHER for the GOOD of those who LOVE HIM!"  We don't have the answers.  Only He knows how everything is going to come together.  Our perspective is not the same as His.  He sees everything.  He's making it all work together.  He has all the pieces.  It's ALL apart of His plan.  Even the things that hurt.  Even the things that cause us pain.  Even when it seems He's just letting things happen.  He allows things...even evil things...He actually uses evil...to ultimately bring Him glory.  We only need to be still.....

For the past couple of weeks, Psalm 26:10 has popped up EVERYWHERE...

"Be still and know that I am God."  

It was so obvious to me--God was sending me a sign of things to come.  Not that He meant it for good or bad, either way.  Only that He has everything completely under control.  I would only have to believe Him.  Good things and bad things, it seems, have been happening.  And I've been able to rest in Him.  Praising Him for all of it.  Yes, the good and the bad.  Because I trust Him.  I really, really trust Him.  He is sending me signs and wonders.  ME.  Little ol' me.  How amazing is His love for me.

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added unto you." 

~Matthew 6:33

I have been doing His work.  The work that matters to Him.  The work that He has called me to do.  And He is literally taking care of the rest.  Business has been the best it's been since we returned to our "home" location.  He's been convicting my husband's heart.  Even by allowing pneumonia in his lungs...I'm praying and hoping and believing that it can be a powerful sign to my husband to quit smoking.  I want so badly for it to be a strong enough reason.  If it takes my little brother hitting rock bottom...again, to finally seek His face...so be it.  I am getting countless opportunities to minister the Word of God to him.  And even if it doesn't take instantly...the fact that I'm sending The Spirit of God into the atmosphere--speaks to God's heart.  I seek His face in despair   I seek His face in delight.  I delight in Him.  I delight in His Presence.  I praise Him in the good times.  I praise Him in the difficult times.  I am transformed. And I am being continuously transformed in His likeness.  How incredibly blessed I am to be chosen by Him to advance His kingdom.  I am exactly where He wants me to be.  When my will is aligned with His will, life is good.  My will is to do His will.  Life is good.  Thank you, Father.

"Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 

"This is the way; walk in it."

~Isaiah 30:21

My Heart

YOU created me this way~on purpose.

I started a Bible Study with a few of my dear sisters about five weeks ago.  It was a divine appointment.  The first lesson touched on captivity and allowing God to eradicate strongholds in our lives.  I thought to myself, "I don't know if this Study is for me.  Strongholds?  I don't have an issue with that at all."  But as we studied on, each lesson opened my eyes to the invisible chains holding me down, preventing me to grow as a person, through communion with God, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  I have been introduced to concepts that I had never even considered as being obstacles in my walk with Him.  Unbelief.  Idolatry.  Feeling Unloved.  This Study has reached the depths of my soul, revealing the sources of fears I never knew I had, while also revealing The Source of strength to overcome those fears, uncertainties, and insecurities.  I've noticed that when I seek Him, He reaches me instantly, resolving unsettled feelings.  Feelings I can't put into words.  Feelings that have been holding me captive.  

"Though we live in the world {flesh}, we do not wage war as the world {flesh}does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world {flesh}.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

~2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Last week, I shared with my sisters a struggle I was having with some recently-developed insecurities.  They came out of nowhere.  Brought me down to my knees.  Somehow, my natural mind conjured up a set of self-fulfilling prophecies.  I lost sight of His will.  Grew selfish in my own fleshy desires.  This week's lesson was God-appointed.  It put into words these unsettled feelings I couldn't put my finger on; I only knew I was in a place of such great pain.

"All of us have insecurities, even the most outwardly confident people we know...The fear or the feeling of being unloved is probably our greatest source of insecurity."1 Wow.  I couldn't find the words, and there they were.  How does He do it?  Because He is Who He says He is.  He is able.  He is God.  He created me; how could He not know?  How could He not allow failure, in  my own strength?  How could He not bring me through it?  His will is to have His Name glorified forever.

Then Job replied to The Lord: 

"I know that you can do all things; 

no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  

You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?'  

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, 

things too wonderful for me to know.  

You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; 

I will question you and you shall answer me.' 

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.  

Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

~Job 42:1-6

I was blessed by a message I heard from one of the best speakers I know, Crystal Sparks.  In this message, she said, "when you think you've got it all together.  when you think you're doing it all by yourself.  when you've just gotten comfortable with where you are, comfortably treading water in shallow waters...God will reach down, pluck you up and drop you into deeper waters."  She said, "when you feel like you're in over your head, you're in a season of growth."  Thank you, God, for growth.  If You didn't believe in me, You wouldn't be growing me.  Your love and faithfulness is unfailing.  Thank You for choosing me.  

1Living Free: Learning to Pray God's Word by Beth Moore
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