SUFFICIENT FOR TODAY

I am reminded this week of the tension we live in, even in the peace that God gives us.  In a season of what I personally call "holy dissatisfaction" and the constant question "there must be more than this", the full circle brings me back to the foundation of life and faith.

It is enough for me to sit quietly with You Lord.  I ask You who I am and You reply "Mine" and it is enough.  Accepted in the Beloved, loved by the One who first thought of me and who saw me before any other eyes.  It is enough to be quiet and content in a love without words, without demands or expectation.

Before I was born You were enough.  As I grew and grappled with life, You were enough.  When I spun out and struggled with life, You remained quietly constant.  Somehow You led me back to the deep pool of Your presence.  There I bathed in Your kindness, was washed clean, and began again.

You drew me into the silent place that is Yours alone.  You maintain the silence within me - in all the screaming rush of life You remain steady and sure.

You pour out Your love it never ends, and You reach beyond me to others You knew first, and lay Your hand on them again.  What patience, what kindness, what love!

Rest in Peace Paul Holmes

You, Paul Holmes, who in your life sometimes divided opinion and caused controversy as you held your course have, in your death, brought together something of the best that can be found in those who inhabit this nation.

Tears are still streaming down my cheeks as I write this.  It was something of great moment to watch a piper playing "Amazing Grace" lead out on your very final journey.  Beside you young Maori honoured you and bid you farewell and a safe journey, and the church, who represent God's love in this nation, walked before and behind you.

I suspect if we will let our eyes see it, something of enormous significance has been set in motion as this seed falls into well-ploughed earth.

WAITANGI DAY

"This is the land where you have given me roots in eternity, O God of heaven and earth.

This is the burning promised land, the house of God, the gate of heaven, the place of peace, the place of silence, the place of wrestling with the angel."

Thomas Merton "A book of hours".

I have such a witness to this today to this place and believe many are in it 'wrestling with the angel' as Jacob did to become Israel.  This is the place where God prevails in and over our lives for His greater purpose.  God has chosen to put our roots in this land for His purpose, without this knowledge nothing will ever make sense.

We hang on to You Lord and we will not let go.  The answers are all in You, the way is only in You.  The purpose for our lives and our nation are found in You.  The new name, the new beginning, is from you, no-one else knows it.  All that we are and will ever be, individually and as a nation, only makes sense in Your hands and Your will.  We cannot and will not let go of You, until you bless us and Your Name and favour rest upon us.

We seek your heart and purpose for this land, show us what to pray, what to be, what to do for this land Lord God, that she will shine like a star in the midst of the nations and be the fulfillment of all that was in your heart for her at the time of creation.

DUST STORM

Yesterday I was very startled to see photos of a dust storm in Perth, Australia, that looked EXACTLY like the pictures I saw when praying in July 2012.  I heard and felt the approaching cloud before I saw it.
At that time the best summary of what I had seen was "God is advancing in the midst of a cloud of human frailty".

The Lord is moving in the midst of frail human flesh not thundering above it. He is at work to reveal His glory in a most amazing way. We remember that Jesus was revealed in human flesh!

The symbolism in what I saw speaks of:
Cloud - Shekinah Glory
Clouds - Glory of God
Dust - The frail nature of man.

17 July 2012 reposted:

On Sunday 8 July, as I spent some time quietly in prayer, I heard and felt a loud rumbling sound. I could see a huge cloud of light brown dust moving quite rapidly towards me. There was a strong sense that the cloud represented God's ability to surprise us with an intervention in the affairs of men.

Psalms 18:12 and 18:42 speak of God's presence in clouds:
Out of the brightness of His presence clouds advanced.
I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind. (David speaking of overcoming his enemies).

Psalm 104:3b He makes clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

In a scriptural sense dust represents the frail nature of man, e.g. Adam formed out of the dust of the earth, and Psalm 104:29b When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.

The overall sense I gained out of what I saw was that God is advancing rapidly towards us in a cloud that is connected to man's frail humanity.

If I were to expand on that, I suspect that we are going to see Him move in the most unexpected way and in unexpected places - those areas where man's strength is least and his frailty is exposed. He is going to move powerfully in the midst of frail human flesh and reveal His glory in a most amazing way.

Lord, help us to see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, and understand with Your heart, in order that we do not miss what You are planning to do in our day.

2013 - LISTEN AND LIVE

The weeks leading into this new year have been peppered with dreams that in hindsight have continued to emphasise a path ahead that will be walked between the greatness of God and the intimidation of the enemy to prevent us living in the fullness that is our life in Jesus Christ.

Two very clear dreams were as follows:

TORNADO - I was in a sunny and happy environment, but coming towards this place was a huge cloud which from time to time attempted to put down a funnel that would become a destructive tornado.  The funnel could never quite connect with the earth, but as it moved towards me I took cover in a small and apparently fragile building where I knew I would be safe.  The threat never eventuated, and the shelter was not adequate in the eyes of man, but I knew it would be sufficient for me.

2013 DIARY - In the midst of quite complex circumstances I was handed a diary with '2013' on the cover.  I was assured that it was a gift for me to keep.  What was outstanding in the dream was the beautiful flexibility of the diary, and the cover which was of transparent gold.  It was apparent that regardless of what else the year contained, there was a beautiful certainty in God of the outcome, but I felt that the flexibility was emphasised as this would be essential.  I was left with joy and excitement about the coming year.

SILENCE - For weeks I have been considering ways of leading others into a place of simple silent listening to the Lord.  Although it is unusual in what we are accustomed to, I have felt that it would need to be done without any props at all, and kept so completely silent that anything heard in that time would need to be written down and expressed only when the silence had ended. 

For some of us the Lord has been teaching us to carry our prayer silently in our hearts before Him wherever we are, and in private times silence has become our sanctuary and the place we regain strength.  For others silence can feel threatening, strange and difficult.  I have been seeking ways to lead others into this place as I feel an urgency in my heart that it will be essential in the days ahead for us to hear God individually and be able to trust and follow His direction - this may mean the difference between life and death for some.

Only those who have been willing to live in this place and learn from the Holy Spirit will be equipped to lead others there, as they have been shown how to hold that place against all that opposes it.

THE WORD - Much time has been spent contemplating John 1:1-18.  I believe we are being encouraged to understand the power of this passage, to look beyond the words on the page, and be willing to fully experience the life of Jesus Christ dwelling among us and within each one of us.  It will become more necessary than ever before to let His light shine in the darkness. 

I felt that Paul's words to the Philippians were being emphasised as our instruction:  Philippians 2:1-16 is our instruction, with emphasis on 2:12-16  "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.  Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life ..."  Paul is not speaking of words printed on a page, but of the power and light of a life in which God works to His will and purpose, and which functions not from the Law, but with the grace and truth that Jesus brought into the world.

2013 - I believe Jesus desires to reveal Himself through His people as never before.  Not so much through speech but in their life and actions.  He desires them to so dwell with Him, and He in them, that His truth, grace and life constantly flow wherever He desires.  I have had two very powerful personal experiences of His ability to impact and change lives if we are willing to walk in this.  I believe these were allowed to confirm what He was speaking to me about, and it left me speechless!

WORKERS FOR THE HARVEST - Luke 10:2  The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

This call is not a burden upon us to do something we cannot humanly do - it is simply a call to pray!  As we pray, those who have been equipped for this time will be released to be who they are called to be.  It has often been preached as a call to evangelism, but in these days I've been led to understand it differently.  The harvest is the Lord's and He is working very specifically and sovereignly in this time.  It is not necessarily a call to speak as much as a call to live in Him. The harvest is very ripe and ready but those who understand how to function in it are currently very few.  Pray, for the release of others, because the eternal life of many depends of it.

May our wonderful God grant us the grace, truth and strength to live and remain in Him as never before, as we enter a time of great change and challenge - days of great adventure with our King.

 

WAITING AT THE WELL

I've been reading Exodus 2 and seeing again the exciting patterns that are set before us in Moses' life.

Moses had discovered a little more about who he was, was moving away from the familiar of his upbringing and then got so zealous about it that he killed someone.  He then freaked out, Pharaoh found out, and he had to run for his life.  Doesn't look like the best start, but I know I've done some pretty messy things myself!

So, Moses finds himself in Midian sitting by a well.  In that place he met some nice girls, scared away some shepherds, helped the girls get water, and then eventually was invited home for dinner.  He was the guy who came for dinner and stayed a long time...well, until God moved him into the next phase of his life.

It's such a great picture of what to do when you don't know what to do!

It's just a time to sit down and draw deeply out of everything we know of God. To be still and know He exists even if we don't know anything else right then.  To read the stories of the bible heroes and see that they had valleys and mountaintops in their lives, and to look below the obvious for the patterns that are set out for us.  Like the woman at the well who met and talked with Jesus and was given the gift of friendship and a drink of eternal life, so also Moses got to move forward from that place and ended up with a life and a wife!

For Moses the turning point came at the well.  For many of us the turning point comes when we are willing to sit still for a moment and allow God to flow in and around our lives rather than being busy doing it all for ourselves.

Look what happened at the well:  It was a place where people gathered.  It was a refreshing/drinking place.  It was a place of meeting and encounter with new people.  So often we move into isolation when struggling, but Moses actually sat down where he knew people would come and go.  Maybe we should consider where and how we drink from the well, and know where we will go when we need to sit with God for a moment.

In this season that points us to the new life that came with the birth of Jesus Christ let's remember that He came to give us life, He came to bring us water we could drink that would sustain us forever.  What an amazing time of remembrance this is, and how wonderful to celebrate it with others.

LIFE AND LOVE

Recently I've been reading back into books and quotes that I keep because they've impacted me greatly.

The first is a small book by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, "A Simple Path" which reminds me what life is really about and forces me to keep things simple and real when I've started to get caught up in things that may not count at all for eternity.

I love this comment on LOVE:

"The success of love is in the loving - it is not in the result of loving.  Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done.  The more we can remove this priority for results the more we can learn about the contemplative element of love."

My question to myself is, can I love without return, or even the hope of it, because I remain in Love Himself, and He remains in me?

The other old thing I re-read this week is a short poem by Alexander Solzenitsyn which is a great reflection on LIFE by a man who lived it with great suffering, great joy, and great faith.

I LOOK BACK IN WONDER

How easy for me to live with you, O Lord!

How easy for me to believe in You!

When my mind parts in bewilderment or falters,

When the most intelligent people see no further than this day's end,

and do not know what must be done tomorrow,

You grant me the serene certitude

that You exist and that You will take care

that not all the paths of good be closed.

Atop the ridge of earthy fame

I look back in wonder at the path

which I alone could never have found

a wondrous path through despair to this point

from which I, too, could transmit to mankind

a reflection of Your rays.

And as much as I must still reflect

You will give me.

But as much as I cannot take up

You will have already assigned to others.

During prayer this week I heard the Lord clearly say "As it was in the days of Noah..." which sent me to read Matthew 24 again.  It continues on to say "so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."  These verses are a reminder that I need to look at how I live LIFE and how I LOVE those around me every day.  They do not fill me with trepidation, but remind me that one day (and no one knows which one!) Jesus will suddenly be standing on the earth again and in an instant everything will change.  It assures me that there will be life on this planet and a world to rule ... happy thought!

SPRING STORMS

It's been a while since I wrote here ... so much happening in this season and so many challenges.

I read in the Herald today of the spring storms that are currently blowing over the country and how there will be a few icy blasts to follow!  In the last couple of days I have found myself constantly thinking about 'spring rains' that water the earth and cause new growth.

How many of us have been experiencing our own spring storms in the last little while?  Do we run and hide from them, or turn our faces into the rain and wind in order that we might be watered and new growth will come out of our lives, even if the buffeting is uncomfortable?

This weekend I read again the beautiful little book by Gene Edwards "A Tale of Three Kings".  I had been asking the Lord for a word that I knew was from Him in this season, and when He brought it I knew He was talking to me about 'dodging spears'.  David could at any time have picked up (or pulled out!) a spear thrown by King Saul and very accurately thrown it back - but the making of the new king, one after God's own heart, was that he dodged them and didn't throw them back.  He learnt how to position himself in God in ALL circumstances and it held him pretty steady through the challenges of  the rest of his life.

Someone lent me a DVD on the life of Padre Pio - it is amazingly well done and again emphasises that this life in God doesn't follow the comfortable path!  However, when this man prayed God moved and wonderful things took place.  Again I saw an example of a man who was prepared to be positioned in God, regardless of the personal cost.

The final gem was going to see "How Far is Heaven", the gentle documentary film about the Sisters of Compassion at Jerusalem on the Wanganui River.  The three remaining sisters lead a prayerful and practical life that is quietly redemptive.  It's a beautiful and poignant movie.

Without doubt I know that my God is calling me deeper into the life of prayer that has always been my journey with Him.  In this past week I have been encouraged and inspired to turn my face into this current wind and allow Him to reshape and water me ready for what is to come.

I am reminded of the words that have always challenged my heart in John 14 where Jesus speaks of what He knows and expects for us:

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in My Name, and I will do it."

Lord, teach us to pray.

 

CONTRASTS

Friday morning I was working in a group of women who currently have no homes, no partners, no money, but have embraced the need for all that to change and are working hard at being remarkable mothers.  Their unbridled enthusiasm for finding the tools and skills to make life work for them was joyful and encouraging.

Saturday morning I was working in a group of women who currently have large homes, husbands, more than adequate finance and apparently very successful lives.  However, I found in them the same enthusiasm to embrace life, be great mothers, and do what was most fulfilling and rewarding.

How often we are influenced by outward appearance, and how often we are totally wrong in our assumptions.

The love of God for both groups of women is abundant and all-encompassing.  He holds nothing back from any of them, and desires only that they will live their lives in the fullness of all He has created them to be.  They in turn encourage and support one another and without even realising it move in the gifts He has planted within them.  They nurture their children and each other, working to find a way towards the next season in their lives.

I am so glad to be one of their company, pressing onward and upward towards the goal He knows far better than I do.

THE DUST CLOUD

On Sunday 8 July, as I spent some time quietly in prayer, I heard and felt a loud rumbling sound.  I could see a huge cloud of light brown dust moving quite rapidly towards me.  There was a strong sense that the cloud represented God's ability to surprise us with an intervention in the affairs of men.

Psalms 18:12 and 18:42 speak of God's presence in clouds:

Out of the brightness of His presence clouds advanced.

I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind. (David speaking of overcoming his enemies).

Psalm 104:3b He makes clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

In a scriptural sense dust represents the frail nature of man, e.g. Adam formed out of the dust of the earth, and Psalm 104:29b When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.

The overall sense I gained out of what I saw was that God is advancing rapidly towards us in a cloud that is connected to man's frail humanity.

If I were to expand on that, I suspect that we are going to see Him move in the most unexpected way and in unexpected places - those areas where man's strength is least and his frailty is exposed.  He is going to move powerfully in the midst of frail human flesh and reveal His glory in a most amazing way.

Lord, help us to see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, and understand with Your heart, in order that we do not miss what You are planning to do in our day.