I must say, it's been some time between posts- but you'll forgive me. I've had much to learn in these 2 months. =)
Thank you High Praise Assembly Ipoh, Judah Praise Center Marysville Washington, Intercessors and IAM papas and mamas. There is no way of expressing my or my family's gratitude towards all of you for your love, prayers and reminders of the Lord's work in our lives.
I was actually inspired by some wonderful Girlfriends In God- Joycie, Amie and Wendy namely, to continue to "blog for the Lord". Your blog posts, dearest friends- are wonderful reflections of life, love and your walk with God. =) thank you for blogging continuously through this time.
As in my last post, I know the Lord has been re-teaching me all of His basics and foundational truths from scratch. I have been learning how to hear God speak in my life all over again through these two months and also learnt what it is to experience being pursued by the King of kings every single morning.
He has been teaching me the difference between "knowing Him" and "knowing His will" for my life. The latter is completely irrelevant without the former; I would never be able to boldly stand before Kings and speak to them the Father's will if I don't know His heart. I would never be able to handle people with His love, without knowing Him and this obviously led to the reason I was not even able to be patient or kind or not self-seeking.
The following statement out of my morning devotions (from GIG) moved my heart and sent me towards seeking the Lord's face.
"The real issue in life is not the search for God's will; it is the search for God. The issue in faith is not knowing what God is doing, rather it is knowing that God knows what he is doing. The issue of faith is seeking God's presence, not God's plan for my life, because there is no plan outside of my knowing him."
What MORE could I ask for than the presence of my King? Everything else truly pales in comparison. Another quote from a book that I love is this "God is the ultimate 'addiction'. The more He talks, the more you want to hear Him talk. You become, in essence, 'addicted' to the sound of His voice." =)
The Lord has led me to another great book- "Can't you talk louder God?" -Steve Schultz, in this season and I would like to share a part here to encourage one of my GIGs. You are not alone in this life dear sister. =) "He never leaves you nor forsakes you." And as long as the Lord wills that I walk beside you, I will. ^_^
So what does He sound like?
Sometimes, God holds Himself back, almost hiding Himself because as one pastor puts it, "He wants you to chase Him until He catches you!" [esther: HAHAHA! AMEN!]
"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." (Provs 25:2)
He may reveal Himself as that "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12) He is the One who must be carefully discerned and sought out with all your heart- to know His will. "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." (Deut 4:29)
"And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12)
And yet at other times, He shows Himself in thunderings. "The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered." John 12:29) Still at other times, He is to you the Creator who says "You have not because you ask not. (James 4:2) He who wants to have a special and personal relationship with you, needs you to seek Him for it:
"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto You." (John 15:15)
In His personal story, Jesus' mother Mary appears to "ambush" her own son at a wedding party one day. I love that Jesus' ministry started at a celebration with rejoicing (esther: heehee. me too!!! ^_^) He is our bridegroom, is He not? Sometimes great things happen in very unusual places-even at weddings.
"God with skin on"- Jesus- claiming that His time had not yet come, was there with His mother at the wedding. Perhaps Mary hadheard the Father's voice tell her something that morning. Perhaps Jesus was justtesting her level of belief when He refused to help her at first. This would NOT be the last time He would first pretend to refuse help and then would later give that help. (Later in His ministry, Jesus would pretend not to help the woman at Tyre for example. But, when He had tested her faith, He instantly healed her daughter.)
But this is for sure what happened at the wedding party in Cana: Jesus'mother, after telling Jesus that the wine wasgone, said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:5) God is still saying "If you listen and do what I tell you to do, things will go on so much better for you! You'll be like a house built on solid rock, if you'll just hear and do what I'm telling you to do."
My goodness! He loves to talk to people! If you think satan's an incessant talker, he has nothing on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! They are the Ones who created talking in the first place. And they never stop talking- The Holy Spirit literally lives inside of you!
I can state what your situation is as a fact, because it is everyone's situation. Everyone hears the lying voice of the enemy. Everyone!
Satan is always in your face, like a roaring lion- lying. He is always asking you, "Did God REALLY say that to you?" or "Aren't you just making that up in your mind- those words you feel God is speaking to you? Aren't those times you felt God speak to you, just your vivid imagination at work?"
Meanwhile God, the other kind of Lion, the Lion of Judah, comes to you in whatever fashion He chooses; as thunder, or in the still small voice, in a vision, a simple impression; in scripture or in a dream in the night. He waits, usually patiently (but not always patiently) to be invited into your mind, your thoughts, your heart and your life.
Be encouraged my dearest GIG. =) He speaks to you now. He is waiting to catch you as you chase after Him. ^_^
And He has not stopped trying to capture me. Through dreams, visions, his still small voice, books, people, His tangible presence and my most valuable possession in the whole world- His Word.
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