Psalm 91:1-2;4 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my Refuge, my place of Safety; He is my God, and I trust Him…He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful Promises are your Armor and Protection.
THE REAL THING
This is not an inspirational message about finding strength, or about being successful. It’s all about brokenness…weakness…failure…fear…and vulnerability. Admit it out loud or not, we’ve all been there and know those painful words too well, and maybe you have a few more to add to the list. And so, we have a choice to make.
We can wither and die in our circumstances, being of NO earthly good to the Lord. (If this is the option you’ve chosen, there is good news to come.)
We can be a fake and put on a great show when others are around, continuously running from things. (This option seems to be the majority choice in our world today.)
OR, we can rise up on God’s wings and let Him USE US in all of our pain as we allow Him to heal us. (Sadly, this is the road less traveled.)
Nothing fake here – I’m talking about EACH of our lives right now. They are very real and probably very difficult for each of us in very different ways. What if, in the midst of it all, we all would CHOOSE to trust God, stop hiding behind our busy lives or title/position. What if we take off the mask of fakeness that we present to the world (pretending that we are just fine, there is nothing wrong, and we struggle with nothing), and just start being honest with ourselves, God, and others.
What is it that we need to face? And what have we got to lose? Our pride? Well, guess what – that’s one step closer to being the humble one He wants & needs us to be IF we are going to be effective & genuine messengers of Christ to the world!!
Remember, this life isn’t about US, it’s about HIM. We are to love and serve Him by sharing His love and serving others. And how can we effectively do that if we’re busy being a fake or duplicitous person? We really can’t.
That’s one way the enemy wins in our lives. If he can’t make us stumble, he will just poke us in our weak spots, stealing our confidence and creating doubt so that we don’t have the guts to be honest with others, making us feel the need to put on an act and keep running from dealing with the very things that inhibit us from fully being who God intended for us to be. If we truly want to live for GOD, then we need to rise up on His Wings and simply remember that our confidence should be IN HIM alone, our Creator (and NOT in what others think.)
And then we can ask ourselves, why did He create us? We know this answer…to proclaim His name & love and serve. Now is the time for all of us to stop serving up a big ol’ plate full of FAKE, regain OR find our confidence in HIM, and realize it does NOT matter what anyone thinks except Him; we are here to please only Him! And then, we can sincerely and effectively reach out and serve others in our REALness. Did you know that Christ allows us to go through our hurts, trials and tribulations to give us a passion for something, maybe even the very thing that CAUSED our brokenness? So don’t try to hide from it, face it and let God use it…for HIS glory, not your own.
God knows when we’re genuine. And being vulnerable in HIS name will prove that genuineness to others! What have you got to lose that Christ already doesn’t WANT you to lose? You have everything to gain when you do! He is the One who made you with a purpose (Jer. 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb…”) so don’t miss it by letting pride get in the way. Don’t let the enemy distract you OR intimidate you from fulfilling that purpose or the passion He gave you in life.
Maybe you chose the first option, and you’re withered and bitter, or you resent where you are in life. Maybe you feel so overwhelmed, and you wonder why God is entrusting YOU with all of this. Or you feel like you are smothered by all of the pressures and expectations. You feel defeated, deflated, or even debilitated. It’s time for you to have a talk with HIM and tell Him how you feel. Admit to Him what He already knows…and then ask Him to HELP you LOVE His will for you!
Wow, is that a turning point perspective or what? KEEP ASKING HIM TO HELP YOU LOVE HIS WILL FOR YOU - AND WHERE HE HAS YOU RIGHT NOW!! And watch what happens.
He will take your defeat and make you Incontestable, He won’t deflate you, but He will Inflate you, He will transform your debilitation into Invigoration. It’s Inevitable because He is the GREAT I AM, and that’s INCONTROVERTIBLE!! And my friend in Christ, please put on your FULL armor daily, because the enemy WILL try to stop you, taunt you, distract you, or get you in a tailspin, because the last thing he wants to see happen is a success for Christ. Remember – the enemy has NO power over us! The VICTORY is already ours when we asked Christ into our hearts and lives!! All we have to do is claim it, cling to it, and LIVE it sincerely with NO compromise! We have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Allow Christ to SHINE through you. He can only shine in us when WE are weak…and genuine. Be the real thing to others, because HE is THE REAL THING to us.
Lord, Your Word is Truth, and it is proclaimed all the way from Genesis to Revelation that YOU ARE the great “I AM!!” You are all we need, You are our everything, so does anything else really matter? Lord, help us to cling to that Truth, to trust Your will, to face what needs to be healed in us, to be genuine, and to shine to the world as we proclaim Your Name and SHOW them who You are because You are in us…and You ARE REAL!!
I love that you suggested we pray to love God's will for our life. I've never thought to do that, but it gives a certain peace to know that even if we didn't choose every turn on our path we can pray to love it. Very wise. Thanks!
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