The early morning air hangs still and heavy with perceptible humidity like Spanish moss dripping from Carolina trees. Sure, I could have the A/C running, but just needed a break so as to open a few windows and listen to God's birdies and the accompanying summer sounds of the Cicadas rustling their wings in August's symphonic phrasing of Michigan bug life.
Nestling into my "spot" on the couch and positioning my coffee onto the combination book and lamp stand next to me, my mind wandered back to this past Sunday's service at the nursing home. The dining room where we meet was awash with various expressions....as usual. The Lord had given me two special scriptures about the Holy Spirit for the service this day. And I preached and spoke as He led me to speak.....but yet.....it seemed to my natural mind that it did absolutely nothing to produce any type of visual change in the expressions of the residents with us that day. And I will tell you, the enemy is right there to hiss in my ear that I may as well give up and stay home....(The enemy always reveals God's plans whenever he does this.)
So...I'm sitting here pondering...wanting with all my heart to see the manifestations of physical healing in the nursing home residents....It's been 7 years now since He gave me the vision for the nursing home residents....physically healed and ministering to others for spiritual, emotional and physical healing....The vision, as yet, unfulfilled in the natural....But for His promise that nothing is impossible with Him and at the appointed time, at the time of life, that which looks dead in the natural (as dead as Sarah's womb) will come alive with His life....And this is where the proverbial rubber meets the road, because we all have a hope, a dream, that ONLY GOD is able to fulfill...in His Time...for His Glory and Praise....to work all things together for good toward those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
How well we know the agony of sifting through the shards of brokenness to see if there is any hope left at all to what we thought would be....I tell you that underneath all our broken dreams and broken hearts is Jesus...broken and poured out for us....underneath is all is Jesus...for underneath are His everlasting arms....and He knows our frailties.
Speaking to Jesus, I sit before Him and ache this question forth from my heart of hearts, "Lord, Your Word says that by Your stripes we are healed. I just don't understand....I don't understand.....".....and my heart drifted off into tears as I continued to reflect upon those precious faces....The tortuous, serpentine churning of multiple "whys" began to froth and foam....
And then, as softly and gently as a golden orange and black Monarch landing upon a wild iris, the Lord spoke, "Crista, Stay true to My Word and I will do the work. It is My Word - alive and active which does the work - Yes, indeed, it is a mystery -
But it is My Word - both logos (written) and rhema (spoken) which perform My work as I purpose. It is I Who send forth My Word to do the work."
And I realize how easy it is to wander into the land of flesh....thinking...believing that it's about me...us, when it is about Him and what He's doing and has promised He WILL do....
Perhaps you are in need of these scriptures as much as I am today. Let your heart be encouraged in His Word, His power, His strength, His purpose, His promises....totally in Him.
Isaiah 55:10-11 "For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart."
Hebrews 6:10 "For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do."
Mark 4:26-28 "And He said, 'The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, and then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases - he knows not how. The earth produces [acting] by itself - first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.' "
God bless you, dear heart~ God bless you~
"Lord, I ask You to encourage someones heart today who reads Your Word. May Your Spirit quicken and bring life to their weary heart as only You are able....for Your Word says, "Not by might nor power, but by My Spirit." Lord, You are the Glory and Lifter of our heads....And thank You, Lord for how You will answer this prayer for Your People this day....for no matter what, Hope HAS A NAME....and HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR....and You Who promised IS Faithful and True...our very present help in time of trouble....Amen and Amen."
Tenderly and ever your Sister in Christ,
Crista
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