Keep Swimming

   

   Remember Dorie from “Finding Nemo”? Such a loveable fish. The older I get, the more I am identifying with her short term memory issues. God brought her to mind this morning as He spoke to me about being free from anxiety in my daily life. 

   My sisters and I are sometimes attacked by what psychologists call “free-floating anxiety.” We all know the definition of anxiety in general, but with this type, there is no reason to be anxious, no circumstance in particular causing concern. There is just this sense that there is something wrong, that we are not doing all we should be doing, that we aren’t keeping up with needs or necessities somewhere, somehow. It’s almost as if we are reaching out and searching for what we should be concerned about.

   This, of course, is the exact opposite of how our Father wants us to live. He knows us inside out…our struggles, our vulnerabilities, our hearts’ desires. He longs for us to live in the Shalom of the abundant life He suffered and died for us to have. Anxiety, worry, and fretfulness are not part of His plan for us.

   Lately, in my retired state, I have become aware of my underlying concern that I am spending my life the way He wants me to. Am I wasting the gift of time He has given me? Am I fulfilling the destiny and meeting the divine appointments He has planned for me? Am I leaving untapped some of the. gifts He placed in me before I was born?  Are there people whose lives He wants me to touch that I am too lazy or too uncomfortable to pursue? Will He speak over me when I come Home to Him, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Sometimes I feel like Dorie that I need to “just keep swimming,” but maybe even harder.

   He knows my heart and those of all His children. He is merciful and forgiving and full of lovingkindness. This I know. That is the very reason I want to please Him by the way I live my life. This morning, because He always reads my heart, He told me (as best I can record: “I love you. Don’t fret. I will show you (and remind you ha ha^) what to do. Flow in the river of My grace. You don’t need to do laps. Settle into My grace and float on your back. I will keep you buoyant. Your head will not go under water. It is panic and anxiety that can lead to drowning.”

   Have you ever felt that you were “not enough”? Are you, too, sometimes attacked by “free-floating” anxiety or awash in the sense that you aren’t doing enough, that you must keep swimming harder to please others…or, more, importantly, your Heavenly Father? 

   Turn over on your back and float in His grace. Keep your ear attuned to Him. He won’t allow your head to go under water. You will find the true Shalom of His abundant life. There, floating peacefully on your back, look up.

*********

• Here is one of my drawings for God from my journal from 2020. No fair making fun of my ‘art.’  

• For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].  —John 1:16 AMP
• 
  
• Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb —Revelation 22:1

• Ezekiel 47 also describes the river flowing from under the throne of God

• “To “drink deeply” of the Spirit is the same as receiving his power and gifts until rivers of living water flow from the inside of us. See John 3:34; 7:37.” —Brian Simmons, TPT note from 1. Corinthians p-12-13
• 
  
• ^I have difficulty, sometimes, recording the chuckle or outright laughter I hear from Him. He is also a great punster. (To remind ‘Dorie’ is worth a guffaw.)
  

Overboard: Is it fear or wisdom?

   

  A friend recently shared her dream with me. (I am deliberately keeping any identities vague.) She and a loved one were on a cruise, but the ship was traveling not in a warm climate but in a colder one, with waves fomenting around them. Somehow (as one can in dreams) they were high on the ship above these waters, almost as if in a crow’s nest of a sailing ship.  Her loved one was wearing a backpack 🎒 chocked full, which she suddenly removed from her shoulders and hurled into the churning sea. In the dream, my friend was at first totally aghast, because the backpack’s contents had included a large number of provisions. However, she then began to wonder….

   As soon as she described the dream, I knew the hurling of the backpack was a good thing, despite the provisions it carried. I knew that backpacks often represent burdens weighing us down. But provisions? How do they fit in the picture?

   Obvious candidates for burdens include: unforgiveness, hurts, offenses, financial worries, concerns about our families, health issues, anxieties about the future, unshakable guilt, old mistakes and outright sins. We could all generate a list of more backpack items which need to be thrown overboard to free us from their weight. We know the Lord does not want us carrying these things wherever we go, especially since He suffered so to deliver us from them. 

   But back to my question: why “provisions”? Aren’t they good? Doesn’t God promise to provide for us? Doesn’t He declare Himself our Yahweh Yireh?* Yes, indeed! However, suddenly it hit me that we don’t carry His provision around on our backs. He is our ongoing  Provider. Are the provisions we’re lugging around on our own shoulders jammed in there out of fear that He won’t provide? Is the rock of anxiety in our packs, for example, our reason for trying to supply our own protection from loss? Ouch, Lord. Do we ‘hedge our bets’ just in case You don’t come through? Like Sarah+, do we try with our own human solutions to make Your Word come to pass? Help You along a bit since things might not take place as You said? 

  I know He wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us++, to ‘be wise as serpents and innocent as doves’, to plan ahead and not to be spendthrifts, to refrain from wasting what He is providing for us. He wants us to work hard ‘as unto Him’ in our jobs. Yet we are to do these things not out of fear but out of heeding His Scriptural truth for us, out of our thankfulness and duty to be responsible in using His gifts. 

   When we truly examine our hearts, what motivates us to carry around our own provision on our backs, whether comprised of our own solutions, our own ‘bootstraps,’ our own righteousness, our own wealth, the filling of our own barns+++? 

   Is it fear that God will disappoint us, that His Word (Logos or Rhema) is not reliable, that it might indeed ‘come back void,’? That He may love others that way but us, not so much? Do we in our heart of hearts trust more in the non-Biblical adage that ‘God helps those who help themselves’ than we do in Jesus’ promises regarding the lilies and the sparrows or the loaves and fishes? Yes, we offer our little fishes and some paltry loaves of bread, and He does not sneer at them.. He’s delighted with our offering. But we both know it is He that feeds us, body and soul.

   Let’s ask Him to show us if we have in our packs things of which we may be unaware, things which need to be not just tossed but hurled overboard. These may even be  as subtle as our backup provisions, cleverly disguised as proverbial wisdom. 

   Go ahead and hurl that thing, Feel the lightness on your shoulders and the wind in your hair!

******************

+Genesis 16

++Matthew 25

+++Luke 12

++++Matthew 6

*Genesis 22:4 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

*Colossians 3: 23-24Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

When it’s never TMI

  

       I am continuing to slowly work my way through “The Names of God” book* by Ann Spangler. I arrived today at Philos, “Friend” or “Relative.” It never fails to astound me that Yeshua calls those who believe, obey, and trust in Him, friends. He is after all Creator and King of the Cosmos. I know He loves us deeply, but friends? This condescension+ is almost too great for me to grasp, yet I rejoice in it. 

   This morning I began a list of what a relationship with a close friend is like. (Jesus is not just an ‘acquaintance’.) As I did, I compared each aspect to my current interactions with Him. Yes, He is my trusted Savior and Lord, but in what ways, if any, is He truly my closest friend? Here is what I came up with so far as characteristic of a close friendship:

• I share my foibles
• I share funny stories, mostly at my own expense
• I share my deepest hopes and fears (the kind I wouldn’t tell others)
• I share my disappointments, without explaining that I know I shouldn’t feel the way I do
• I don’t keep things back from sheer embarrassment or TMI
• I share my true self without fear of judgment, criticism or rejection
• I ask for prayer, for guidance, for discernment 
• I ask my friend about what she is going through and how I can pray for her. I listen to her hopes, fears, and funny stories. I reciprocate all of the above.
• It is not a one-sided relationship, with her doing all the listening, all the caring, all the carrying of my burdens.
• I want to know what is on her heart, not just have her listen to mine. (I have experienced ‘friendships’ like the latter.)

   As I ran the lyrics to the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus through my mind, I began to ponder if the song accurately described a close friendship. Are there aspects missing in this wonderful hymn?

1. 
   
2. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
3. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
4. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.
5. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.
6. —lyrics, Joseph Scriven; tune: Charles Converse
7.   Beautiful, right? True, right? But Is our friendship with Yeshua (in fact, with the whole of the Trinity) reciprocal? Do we ask Him what is on His heart, what He wants us to pray for, declare, and decree? Are we truly partnering with Him for His will to be done? Do we pray for those He loves, listening for His prompts? (Obeying His prompts even when we don’t want to) Do we do so in the same way in which we pray for those on the hearts of our close human friends? Do our hearts hurt and celebrate when His does? Do we mourn when He mourns and rejoice when He rejoices?** Reach out to help someone for whom He is concerned? Or is our ‘friendship’ with Him more one-sided? Do we share our needs, give him our burdens, and then turn and walk on with our own lives and agendas, checking back in from time to see if our prayers have been properly addressed?
8.    I know I am guilty of this sometimes. But I don’t want to be that kind of ‘friend’. I want to be a close friend ‘who sticks closer than a brother.’ One who is willing to lay down her life for her Friend. One who is as concerned for what is on His heart as for what is on hers. Maybe more.
9.    I love sharing all the funny things with Yeshua, as well as the heart-wrenching ones…and the ones that would be TMI for anyone else. He knows it all anyway, but we laugh and cry together about them. I know He holds my tears in a bottle***,  as well as giving me the kind of belly laughs that ‘do good like medicine.’ I want it all with Him. I want Him to say when I see Him in person, “Truly, you have been My close friend. Welcome Home and know Me even better.”
10. **************
11. *See post “When it’s ok to be gluttonous” from April 15, 2025
12. + condescension’s original meaning: to “voluntarily waive ceremony or dignity proper to one's superior position or rank and willingly assume equality with inferiors”….”make gracious allowance for human frailty”
13. ** “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. —Romans 12:15
14. 
    8 ***”You number my wanderings;
    Put my tears into Your bottle;
    Are they not in Your book?”  —Psalm 56:8
15. “It is almost unimaginable that the Creator of the entire universe, Almighty God HIMSELF, invites and even encourages us to come and commune ans communicate with Him.” —Bobby Corner 
16. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” —John 15:13-15
17. “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” —Proverbs 18:24
18. “Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest.” —Proverbs 27:9
19. “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house.” —Job 29:4
    “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” —Proverbs 17:9
    
    22 “ A happy heart is good medicine,
        but low spirits sap one’s strength —Proverbs 17:22
    From Ann Spangler, author of The Names of God : “Confess any complacency toward those who are lost. Ask Jesus to assign your heart with His purposes.”
20. Related words: to Philos: Phileo: “to love”; Philema: “to kiss” 
21. Jadon Lavik singing What a Friend We Have in Jesus:
22. https://youtu.be/5XsXYTWVdGE?si=
23. 
    
24. 
    

Fireworks with two-fold significance

I saw fireworks before my eyes and believe I heard:

1) revelations, confessions, and exposures will come so fast that one will still be happening as the next begins. They will be seen far and wide. 

2) We, His faithful remnant, will be celebrating the manifestation of His Victory for us, using them to rejoice around the world.

Two pictures to warm your soul (to be remembered in the days ahead)

It is often when we are just drifting off to sleep or just waking up that we are especially open to Holy Spirit’s messages for us.  Last night as I lay under the covers, He gave me these comforting images, especially delightful to me in the midst of America’s evilly-engendered turmoil:

The Father tucks us (His believing, beloved children) into bed, pulling the covers up to our chins. We turn to the side, snuggling in. He brushes His hand tenderly over our hair, full of love for us, and tells us to sleep well. We hear noises outside the window, but He says not to be afraid...it is just the wind. There is a scratching at the front door, but He tells us again not to be fearful because He is our Protector and Guard, and His arm is strong. “Rest well, My precious ones. ABBA is near.”

We are surrounded by a circle of vicious enemies who are agitated and threatening us in various ways, but the Father is just chuckling. He even has His back to them as He goes about preparing a magnificent table for us, with an array of luscious-looking foods. The wine stands ready at each end, and the bread is fresh from the oven. “Eat! Enjoy!” He says. “Don’t be concerned about them. They cannot touch you.” As I pull the 🥖 apart, steam rises from it, and I lather yellow Irish butter across the end. A soft light is shining on our table, creating a lovely ambience for our celebratory feast...the Feast He has personally and lavishly laid for us, under His Tabernacle Tent.

Do not be afraid!

 Isaiah 41:10-14.....believe, pray, and see it come to pass before your eyes 

Cleaning your windshield

This is an image and word God gave me early Sunday morning:

   I woke up this morning with an image in my mind from the Lord. I know it was from Him. I was in a convertible and there was a very dirty windshield in front of me. It was cloudy and covered with grime. You couldn't see through it, but I could see that they were presents piled up on the right-hand side on the frame of the car, to the right of the windshield, and the Lord was laughing.

   “Clean your windshield,” He said. “Your windshield is cloudy.  How can you see where you are going when your windshield is cloudy? Clean it with vinegar and with water.  Make it sparkle. I am piling my gifts up high. Make sure they are up high.  You need to proclaim and help distribute them from a higher place. We are picking up speed.  Rejoice! I am laughing with joy flinging those gifts.  I am flinging those gifts through you [the believing Church] out to the people of your nation, to the people the world.

   See the astounding grace of my gifts! Use your muscle to clean that windshield. Use the muscle of My Spirit to clean that windshield. Make it shiny squeaky clean so you can see where I am taking you and where you need to go as you help me distribute my gifts, gifts that will astound. Proclaim them, speak them forth. Do not be afraid to proclaim them; proclaim them from up high above the circumstances. They must be proclaimed from up high above the circumstances that people see and hear and feel and touch because my gifts are coming from the heavens. Believe and do not doubt; do not resign yourself to circumstances which seem to be beyond your control. Speak forth what I say, trust in what I say, see what I see, hear what I am telling you, hear my voice and proclaim my truth, my Reality. Receive what I have for you in faith and believing the truth without doubting that I am doing a new and amazing thing. Watch in wonder as it breaks forth! Be a part of it, be a part of it, Ecclesia. Be a part of it.  Don't speak against it; don't deny it; don't carry doubt in your heart but believe that I am able to do this, that nothing is impossible for Me. I am doing an amazing thing for you, a great gift. The big gift contains many smaller gifts. Rejoice and Merry Christmas! Your windshield is cloudy and grimy with dirt and deception, with the lies of many which you have believed. Clean the windshield to see what I see and believe what I am telling you… to not be deluded. Do not be deceived. Do not believe a lie but my Truth. You must clean the windshield. I cannot clean it for you. You must make a choice to clean the windshield. Partner with me to distribute my gifts. I have chosen to partner with those who believe and who trust in me. I have shared my authority with you. Those who believe partner with me to distribute the gifts.”

    He wanted me to fling them out as we travelled but told me we couldn’t go until I could see clearly:

“You must clean your windshield. Without cleaning your windshield you'll crash and burn.” That's what our nation (and the world) will do without Him, but he has a much better plan. He doesn't want us to crash and burn; he wants us to reflect his glory to the world, to speak forth His truth and demonstrate, manifest to the nations. We must clean our windshields to see what He sees, to hear what He says, to do what He wants us to do.  We must believe what He is telling us and act on that.

   “If you don't clean your windshields you will just sit in your car and be taken where you don't want to go. Your nation will be taken to very bad places, instead of to where I want you to go. The paths are diametrically different from one another.  You don't have to stay in the car with the dirty windshield and be driven by others where I don't want you to go. I want you to be free. The Truth, as I have told you, will set you free.

My gifts are Victory and Triumph, gifts of Mercy, gifts of Resetting to the original Covenant of your nation with Me. Gifts of Deliverance, gifts of Revival, gifts of Justice and and Vindication. Fling them from on high,” says the Lord.  Rejoice, rejoice, believers and let your light appear! Proclaim from the rooftops, from the highest places, that I am delivering you.  I am freeing you in the name of my Son, Jesus Christ! Proclaim my truth, proclaim my gifts and see me flinging them from high places, flinging them out, seeing them burst open to the people.  Receive them, believe them, and rejoice!” 

 

Another kind of seeing

So this morning, the joke was on me. I was thanking the Lord for so many blessings, especially having children and their spouses who love Him and one another. I do not take that for granted in any way, especially when I listen to the heartbreaking stories of other mothers and fathers, for whom I pray. 

After I write my prayers, I usually take another color pen 🖊 and listen, trying to accurately record what He wants to say to me. I know that I don’t always get it right. I sometimes write what I think He’s going to say. When I realize that (pretty quickly), I cross it out and get quiet,waiting. He often then says something that makes me laugh, and I know, then, it’s from Him. I don’t make myself laugh.

Today, after I erased what I had first written, He said He wasn’t offended but was glad I was Seeing what I was doing and He was happy that I was  Seeing the blessings He had sent. He always wants me to See His Reality over and above the ‘masked’ world I am going in and out of each day....like walking through a cloudy curtain from a clear, sparkling world and back again.

You have to read my previous blog post to get the Seeing joke. I hope you will, if you haven’t already. A good laugh ‘does good like medicine,’ especially when it’s from your ABBA.

Surprised by Sweetness

    I was feeling all yucky inside, with all the ‘stuff’ happening and the sickening words and actions of the times. Just yesterday I had spoken in church about the crucial need for listening to God directly, rather than relying on our own or other people’s understanding. For decades I have used those little speckled journals to listen and try to write down (by 'taking dictation’) what He says, as best I can. 

   Writing down has helped me stay focused, with my thoughts zinging around my mind and external distractions calling out to me.  If there’s ever been a time to commit to significant times of listening to the Holy Spirit, it’s now. Yet sometimes it’s difficult to quiet our souls to just be with Him and listen. To persist until His voice breaks through and begins to flow in our minds. 

   This morning was a challenge to LIVE what I advised just yesterday. I was tempted to just give up and start the rest of my day. Thankfully, I didn’t. His deep peace descended, and He told me to ‘soak my dry bones in His Spirit...His ‘abiding place,’ to absorb His life-giving nutrients’. “Let me refresh your mind," He said..."wash, wash, wash (image of a washing machine), cleansing it from the ‘stuff’ that has attached itself. “

   I can only describe what I then experienced as a sweetness which came to me. It was like hearing a tender Christmas carol and smelling the scent of evergreen,  while tucked up on the sofa in front of a lighted tree. "Oh yeah, that's what that feels like...purity, innocence, and peace all rolled into one.  I'd forgotten."  The Holy Spirit is the source of all that is pure and beautiful and life-giving.

   At the same time that I was trying to listen to Him, sweet and creative ideas were flowing faster than I could record them. “Are these distractions, Lord?” I asked. “I’m trying to pay attention to what you’re saying!”

“I know creative ideas are flowing all around you,” He answered...“faster than you can pull them out of the water.. When you place yourself inside My Stream, they will flow continually along with and around you. They always exist there by My creative Nature. You will be like Lucy and Ethel at the chocolate factory!”

“You are SO funny, Lord.  And a pun on 'sweetness', too? Really?"

Fear and two lions

   Did you watch the newer Jumanji movie? That’s not usually my genre of choice, but I enjoyed not only its humor, but some Biblical analogies I found there.  1Peter 5:8 warns us that our Enemy prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone he may devour. That image seems even more vivid in current times, doesn’t it?

   The thing is, we can’t be devoured unless we agree to to it. We can never be his tasty meal unless we don’t know who we are as believers in Yeshua. In Jumanji, the ‘weakling’ character in real life becomes the super strong hero within the app. When he is about to be attacked, he freezes in fear and at first fails to fight back. He doesn’t remember  who he is. Suddenly he remembers that the man whose identity he has assumed has all kinds of strength and skill to defeat his attacker. It is only then he is successful in defeating his enemy. 

 

   I believe that happens with us. We allow fear to paralyze us. Fear of present times. Fear of future times.. Fear of speaking out. Fear of man’s opinion. Fear of illness. Fear of what will happen if certain groups take control of our country. Fear for our children and grandchildren. Fear of what kind of death we might die. Fear of that roaring lion. 

   However, it is the great Lion of Judah in whom our trust is securely placed. The other lion’s image is but an illusion, a hologram projected to frighten us into the kind of fear that causes us to leave our weapons lying useless at our sides. The kind of fear that can make us forget who we are. Like the character in Jumanji, we need to wake up to our true identity in Christ and stand up with confidence,  putting on the armor of Christ which He has given us. They are not just defensive weapons but offensive ones. Attired in our identifying  uniform, we find the hologram has as its source only a sickly cat, artificially magnifying its voice like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain. 

   Another point of note in the movie as well as in Scripture, is that humility comes before success. Knowing who we are, in and of ourselves, places us in a position to stand up tall in the power coming only

from the Great Lion, the King of Kings.

   Yank that curtain back and unmask the imposter.  He does everything he can to keep us from knowing who he really is, because then we will know that we hold all the power.  Believe it, use it, and speak it forth, mighty ones!

*********************

Matthew 8:26-27

FYI...I recently re-read The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis, the final book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. I highly recommend a current reading, in light of current revelatory events. For example, note that there is not only an imitation Aslan, but also another creature, thinking he has the real power, manipulating behind the scenes. Ultimately, that creature himself is swallowed whole by an evil greater than he. However, as you well know, that is not the end of the story. Further up and further in, everyone!

This lane open

I thought I’d share a short laugh from our Father this morning. He shared an image with me of a grocery store with long lines of socially distanced people. He called out This lane wide open! No need for distancing! No need for less than 10 items of concern! Step right up! There are three Persons all working that lane together, by the way, all with smiles and no masks.

Tabernacling

 As I continue this year’s journey through Exodus, I have to force myself to slow down and picture what I’m reading...to visualize and imagine. In past readings, I confess to having buzzed through the detailed instructions for the Tabernacle.  Since I’m In 2020 (what, really?) I can search online for pictures, where others have done the work of drawing, painting, modeling the Ark of the Covenant, the acacia wood altar, and each aspect of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.  Some have even added their interpretations of the meaning behind the minute instructions and squeezed them into their pictures. Amazing! Thanks, guys!

Meanwhile, I need to stop, picture, imagine, question, and listen for myself. “What new insights do You want to share with me about these Old Testament events, Lord? What do you want me to learn or do in response to this concept of Tabernacling in the wilderness? Sometimes I try to draw an element like the lampstand for myself, even though skilled artists have already done so. It’s been interesting that the slow, manual process of drawing has created a settling of my mind and spirit to better listen for what He has to say.

 

Come Tabernacle with Me....come Tabernacle with Me in this dry wilderness of 2020. Amidst the chaos and lawlessness and lies and dearth of Truth, you will find my oasis, My Tent of Meeting. There is flowing, bubbling, peaceful, life-giving water here. “Draw near with faith”and without fear. You no longer have to be afraid...fearful to perform everything perfectly.. Be reverent, but not afraid. Honor Me with holy awe but love Me as your ABBA. Never forget the gift you have been given by My Son...that you may come to Me in this way.  Stop awhile in the Old Testament to fully appreciate the New. Understand how fear and trepidation have been replaced by My Shalom....that which I have desired for you since I created my son 

Adam and daughter Eve and placed them in the Garden with that very Shalom of provision, wholeness, intimacy, and blessing. Redemption, Reconciliation,  Restoration are now available to all who are willing to receive them.

Never take My gifts for granted. Never receive them flippantly or lightly, but reverently, with deep appreciation and awareness.  Hold them, as you would a fragile bird or delicate flower in your hand. Note every vivid detail, every facet...and be filled with awe. Fall on your knees in gratefulness. Better yet, fall into My arms. This was My desire all along.

Here am I...(Rabbit Ears, Part II)

When I hear the phrase Here am I, I immediately think of Samuel, who heard God whisper his name. [Samuel 3:4] It took three times for Samuel (and Eli) to realize that it was God calling him. However, I never remembered that Moses responded the same way when God called out to him. [Exodus 3:4]  I usually think of him as a reluctant and insecure prophet. However, at least he was listening well enough to hear God call to him. Before that time, Jacob was twice called out to by ‘the Angel’ and responded,  “Here I am.” [Genesis 31 & Genesis 46] Even earlier,  Abraham, when God called to him first to sacrifice his precious son of promise and then to refrain from it, also said “Here I am.”  [Genesis 22:1, 11] (I think I would have held my hands over my ears and wobbled my head, saying, I can’t hear you!)

Call and response.. All of these individuals responded (at least ultimately) with faith and obedience. Well, Moses...stalled quite awhile before agreeing to be ‘sent’. I think I identify best with Moses.  “Hey, God, I have a better idea. Why don’t you send my brother...yeah, send him. He’s a much better speaker. I don’t think anyone, especially Pharaoh, will pay any attention to me. I’d really rather stay here and tend the flocks, if you don’t mind. Yeah, Mikey will do it!” (Sorry, younger friends...it’s an old cereal commercial reference.)

I, like Moses, am intimidated by all the positively demonic attitudes of ranting and violent people, including friends, whose downright hatred for my beliefs is beyond irrational. I would rather hide out in my cocoon and plug my ears.  However, God has not stopped calling. What He specifically calls us to say and do will vary. But He doesn’t want our fear of man to cause us to pretend we can’t hear Him. “Lord, did You say something? I must have been distracted.”  Yes, by fear and panic. I just want to be content and cozy, Lord. Aren’t there other people whom You can ask to go out there and make a difference?  After all, I’m retired! And You know I hate it when people are mad at me.  Poor excuse? Yes, I remember You saying something about people hating me who hate You. But now people hate me who don’t hate you. They believe in you! Oh, right, that part about deception in the latter days....Ok. I am without excuse, aren’t I? Do I want to partner with You to bring people to You and have their eyes opened to Your Truth? To see the delusion they’re under? Yes, Lord. Yes. Even though the war within me rages to remain hidden away. The real tending of sheep is not for wimps, is it? Any Shepherd will tell of the courage required. Ok. Can I do it afraid, as Joyce Meyer says? Right, got it. As long as You’re with me, telling me what to say or do and when to say it. And also how to pray. You promised to do all that? Yes, You did, didn’t you? Rabbit ears? Ok....

Here am I. Send me.

Rabbit Ears

I love to have my prayer time on the porch and listen to all the birds, living in the trees surrounding us. I’ve wondered from which bird each call, song, or cry emanated. So I downloaded an app called BirdNet. I record the birds and then ask the app to analyze and identify the source, if it’s able. So far it’s identified about a dozen birds.  

The challenge in recording is to capture the quieter bird songs between the raucous calls of the crow and the scrub jay. This caused me to ponder what it is like for our Heavenly Father, with billions of voices calling out...some directly to Him and many just plaintively calling.  They don’t realize He hears their every whisper and every inaudible cry.

The Lord knows every one of our voices, as well as the number of hairs on our head.* He longs to have a two-way conversation with us. He hears the human equivalent of the soft coo of a dove at the exact same time as the unlovely cry of the raven. One does not drown out the other. In fact, He recognizes every individual dove, jay, towhee, swallow, starling, and robin as distinct from one another. You are not just part of a species and genus to Him, but rather a creature like no other. He hears every personality-filled call.

But do we hear His? Do we recognize the voice of the Shepherd amidst the cacophony of world events, social media posts, movies, television broadcasts, and conversations with friends and strangers? Do we listen intently amidst the fears, anxieties, dread, rationalizations, and even happy diversions of our minds?

When I was young, my mother called me rabbit ears. She and my father could be whispering 2 rooms away, and I would ask them questions about their conversation. “How do you DO that?” they would ask me. The Lord reminded me of this recently. 

I want you to have rabbit ears again, He said. 

What, Lord?, I replied with consternation.

Rabbit ears...remember? I want you to to listen so intently for me that you can hear me through all the noise and chaos of the world around you, especially when I seem far away..  Even through the fears and anxieties of your soul. It is vital now that you do, and even more so in the future. It will help if you turn off the secular external audio input. However, there’s no OFF switch for the internal voices, except through the power of My Holy Spirit. Tune those rabbit ears to My frequency and fine tune your reception. I AM above the circumstances in which you live, and you can be, too. But you must stay finely tuned.

Spend more time feeding yourself with the good food of My Word, by discerning teaching, and most of all by praying in My Spirit. Your rabbit ear growth comes from these...from My very Presence.  Live higher.  You will hear My whisper in your ear.

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My sheep listen to mu voice; I know them and they follow me.  --John 10:27

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.    --Matthew 10:29-31

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You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain. ...

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

--Psalm 139: 1-6; 17-18

Everything changes...

I have not read Kings and Chronicles anywhere as often as I have read the New Testament, or even other books in the Old, such as the prophets. But recently, my sweet daughter-in-law referred me to a passage in 2 Kings involving Elisha, in which he directed people to dig troughs in the ground to make a place to receive what God had for them. [2 Kings 3:16-20]

This set me on a path to read all of Kings and then the two Chronicles, which are so totally entwined. Once we make it through all the genealogy, we discover much treasure buried there. I had forgotten just how much.

The last few days, I have been reading about David. Today I came to the point where he took a military census, against the advice of Joab, the commander of his armies.  This upset God greatly. Why?  Because David was then relying on human strength for success. It was God who, despite situations of greatly inferior numbers, had brought the victories David had experienced.

Even after he repented, David was afraid to go before the Lord in the Tabernacle. He followed God’s direction to build a ‘local’ altar, but he did not have confidence to travel and come before the altar in the holy Tabernacle tent, itself. [1 Chronicles 20:30]

I was immediately reminded that everything changes with Jesus.  Even David, beloved mighty man of God with such a heart to serve Him, was unsure of his welcome after his sin.  Remember, even the man who touched the Ark of the Covenant to steady it, lost his life in the process.  [2 Samuel 6:1-8]

We, however, never have to be afraid or uncertain whether we’re welcome at God’s altar or at His feet. It’s all because of Yeshua. We may well be coming before Him with a great sin (or a long series
of ‘smaller’ ones) on our hearts. We may be thinking our sin is too great or we’ve repeated a sin once too often for Him to tolerate our presence. Yet Yeshua paved the way, now and forever, for us not only to survive coming before our Most Holy God, but to be encouraged and welcomed in His Fatherly arms. We no longer need fear death, or even condemnation, before the Throne. We’re welcomed as precious children, naughty though we may have been.

Yes, as a child of a Father Whom we love and desire to please; Whom we hate to disappoint; Who we want to be proud of us; we are grieved at grieving His Holy Spirit.  But we should never fear running directly to Him in our sorrow, never be uncertain of our welcome. Everything changes from Old to New....all because of Yeshua.

You, even if you feel least in the kingdom of heaven, are greater than David, greater than Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and even John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest man who had ever lived up to that time. [Matthew 11:11]

Yeshua cancels every curse, from the Garden forward. He makes us righteous and worthy to stand before His Holy Father and receive His great and tender love. He stands in the gap as the Great High Priest and Intercessor for all who trust in Him. He sets us free from captivities of body, soul, and spirit. Everything changes with Him....how incomprehensibly wonderful is His gift to us.  Be sure to tell Him so this very moment.  And while you’re there, stay awhile.....

Flypaper flag

Do you ever wrestle with anxiety, even though your trust in your Heavenly Father seems strong?Sometimes, despite our deep faith, anxieties seem to swarm about some of us like annoying insects. “Go away!” We say. "You have no place here. Go back to the humid jungle of unbelief.”

We know our Good Father has always taken care of us and those we love, when they were willing to receive His care. His faithfulness has been rock solid in the days behind us (though we sometimes need hindsight to make our vision clear). Why, then, do we still sometimes find ourselves ineffectively attempting to bat these anxious flies away? Thankfully, we’re not God, or we would probably say to ourselves, “Really? You’re anxious again? Why are you worried? After all these years of my watching your back and answering even the smallest of your concerns,  you still don’t trust me?  I’ve had it with you.”

How thankful I am that He never gives up on us or forsakes us, despite our failings. He remains our Coach, however.  He doesn’t just consign us to chemical imbalances, family histories, or spirits of fear and dread, saying, “Well, that’s just the way you are” or “That’s to be expected, considering your family’s vulnerability to anxiety.” Instead, He says, “Let me help you get free from this.” He never wants us to remain in bondage. He came to set the prisoners free.*

There are different forms of anxiety, but He can help us with them all. One type is sometimes called ‘free-floating anxiety.’ There is no particular issue triggering the anxiety. It is rather the state of being anxious. This week, the Father gave me a picture of a flag made of flypaper being held aloft. He said that in this type of anxiety, it’s as if we’re sensing we either are or should be anxious about something and mentally reach out to catch things swirling about our minds to turn over there and fixate upon. In fact, our flypaper flag has caught so many bugs that our minds jump from concern to concern (even things long over and done with...mistakes made in years past and even resolved!). We can’t seem to take control in this ‘battlefield of the mind,’** despite our best efforts.

For some of us, something’s out of whack in our body systems. For some, we are worried and anxious about a particular situation. Regardless, the answer is always from Him. He doesn't want us to say, “I’m just a worrier.” Or, “I guess I’ll never be free of this....I’ll just have to live with it.”  As our Coach and Cheerleader, He guides us with strategies for overcoming.  Some directions include Scriptural warfare through declaration of His Word. Other times, He just makes us laugh at ourselves. Case in point:
“My Child, take down the flag!”
“What flag, Lord?”
“The flypaper one.  You’re holding it in the air to see what to roll around in your mind and worry over in your anxious state.”
“The what???  Oh....I get it.”
“Let me help you to escape the swarm cloud.”
“Yes, please....and thank you.”

He then reminded me to:
1) Recognize what is happening and identify it as the spiritual battle it invariably is, even when the anxious state involves biological issues.

2) Keep the arsenal of His powerful Word loaded in the chamber of our minds and hearts. Record (index cards, notebooks, digital files, sticky notes on mirrors....use whatever works best), ponder, and digest it so that it becomes a nutritive part of our strength...coming to mind quickly in battle.

3) Use it! A weapon hanging at our sides is the same as one shelved in a closet. Keep verses ‘at the ready’ to declare. We musn’t wait to search for them when we're anxious.  Attention Deficit Disorder thrives in the anxious state. We will be tempted to default to some sort of other seemingly entertaining  ‘escape’ to divert ourselves, which will only delay the real solution.  [However,  watching, listening, reading, puzzling, etc. can later help us, if the content is not inconsistent with His Word.]

4) Play peaceful Christian music [like Hidden in My Heart ***(Scripture set to  music); Quietly, a Piano Album; Julie True (soaking music); Fernando Ortega; and others.

5) Breathe in His Holy Spirit.  Talk with the Lord.  Tell Him, "I'm breathing You in, Holy Spirit.  Thank You for Your Presence.  Please calm my mind...my soul and spirit.  Quiet the beating of my anxious heart.  Help me to rest in You.  I and all my family belong to You. Thank You for caring for all of us, as a Good Shepherd cares tenderly for his sheep.  We are Yours.

6) Use your lifeline:  Call a trusted friend who understands the principles of spiritual warfare and is sensitive to the particular challenges of anxiety.  Don't spend long rehearsing the problem. Rather, ask her/him to pray (on the phone or in person).

7) Read scriptures, like the 23rd Psalm, out loud. Personalize it. Make it first person.  For example.  You, Lord, are My (Our) Shepherd.  You give me a quiet place to lie down in green pastures.  You are leading me now beside still waters.  You are restoring my soul.... I'm breathing in the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for caring for me and for my family even in the dark valleys.  Thank you for anointing us with oil, even in the presence of our enemies....Thank you for feeding and caring for us so tenderly.  Nothing is too difficult for You.  Nothing too big or too small to receive Your attention.  Help me now to receive Your Shalom of body, soul, and spirit.  In Jesus' Name Amen.

8) Remember, you're never alone in this.  He will never leave your side.  He is for you and wants you free. He suffered immeasurably and died for it. Don't wait for heaven.  He wants this deliverance for you and for me now.
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*Psalm 146: 6b-8a
   Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,
   Who executes justice for the oppressed 
   Who gives food to the hungry
   The Lord sets free the prisoners
   The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down

**Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer    (If it's been awhile since you read this classic...or if you've never gotten around to reading it, now's the time.)

***Hidden in My Heart; (Volumes 1-3); Quietly, a Piano Album by Jay Stocker; Julie True (just about any album takes you right into the Presence of God); Fernando Ortega (many great albums)