Sunday, June 10, 2018

Is He Enough?

I rolled out of bed, craving God's companionship - not from a well-spring of enraptured joy, but a place of perceived depletion.

We've all been there.

I quickly took care of my daily duties, particularly pertaining to our four legged friends who live under roof; grabbed up my coffee and a bottle of water, and left the house.

This morning, all I knew was this deep craving to "go there" with Him; not a building, but a place so deep in my heart the thought caught my breath.

I slipped into the driver's seat and started the car.

Almost immediately, before even leaving the drive, I heard Him.

"Deborah, am I enough?"

My heart sank. I knew what my answer was in this moment, as He too knew.

"No, Lord, not in this moment, but I long for You to fill me such that my answer is YES, Lord - You are MORE THAN enough always."

I rode on in silence, meditating on His hovering, tangible presence... His question.... and my stripped down, completely exposed answer.

I have found that when I am in a long-endured season that demands more of me than I know I have, I have to fight off discouragement with a vengeance; a radical, God-breathed vengeance.

I recently heard a well-known pastor state discouragement is a choice, implying we can simply choose not to be discouraged.  After meditating on this supposition, I disagree.  If discouragement were merely a choice, the Apostle Paul wouldn't have written pages filled with contention towards it nor would he have written about the need to persevere through it.

Discouragement comes when there is a great call that delays or when the battle tarries.

Through it all, I have found that the underlying fracture contained in EVERY human soul, exposed by discouragement, is the question, "Is He enough?"

Blessed is the soul who dares to hear Him ask the question AND answer Him.....honestly.

Only then.

Only then.

Only then can He move in and be to us MORE THAN enough.

If you are struggling today.... perhaps a widow or a widower... learning to do life without a human partner....perhaps you are an abandoned spouse... physically, emotionally, or spiritually..... perhaps you are battling a diagnosis... perhaps you are battling thoughts of failure and a broken heart concerning a wayward child.... perhaps everything is going great, but there is this gnawing in your spirit you just can't quench.....perhaps... perhaps....perhaps.... after all, a void is a void....and let's just stop pretending, shall we?  WE ALL HAVE AT LEAST ONE.   Do you find yourself hearing Him ask you, "Am I enough?" --  will you then be open and honest with Him?? ... He's asking because He's the answer... BUT you must courage up and answer Him with the stripped down, completely exposed answer.

Paul knew the question well.  I ponder to myself just how many times God came to Paul in the quiet of the battle... in the quiet of the discouragement.... in the quiet of the calling... and heard, "Am I enough, Paul?"

I know He did because Paul wrote these most profound words that only someone who was asked that pointed, heart-piercing question AND answered honestly would then know:  "God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may EXCEL in every good work." (2 Corin. 9:8)

Oh, indeed, Lord.... You are enough....more than enough.....


And once again, my spirit is renewed, and its course set to heights yet unknown....

To Him Alone Be ALL the Glory.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡











Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Intention....God's Grace Exceeds It ALL

It's my day off.  Wednesdays usually always are. They have become my mid-week pause to regroup and reground myself to what's important in life.

As I sipped on my coffee this morning, I turned on the TV.... something I rarely do in the morning... and took in a few moments of today's present culture.

Within in moments, I turned it off.

"Lord, everyone everywhere is scrambling to be heard," I shared my thoughts with my closest Friend.

Every time I have been tempted outward - the Lord anchors my focus inward... to my family of five... the most precious souls I am blessed to know intimately.

Last week my Friend, my All-in-all, kept bringing to mind one word.... Intention.

When I looked up the definition, being the egghead who I am, I discovered two definitions:
1) a thing intended; an aim or plan
2) the healing process of a wound

If you are like me, you were aware of the first definition, but how about the second definition?

Now, layer both definitions, understanding we serve a multifaceted God who is always at all times multidimensional in HIS INTENT.

When I sat and meditated with Him concerning His intent put to task with our family's intent to bow and merge with His intent, it sparked such a WOW moment deep in my spirit.   The outcome can be nothing but transformative.

Over this past weekend, I shared this word, intention, with my family, stating unequivocally THIS was God's heart and focus for each of us over the next twelve weeks. Each one of us embraced the theme... a walk of intention with one another and with HIM.

To walk with intention one with another, brings aim, brings healing, brings intimacy.  It is the very heart core of God for all those who claim Jesus as Savior: to not simply talk the talk, but walk the walk.

One thing I know FULL WELL --  no matter the wound, no matter the sin, no matter how great the offense.... God's grace exceeds it ALL.... and IF we courage up to believe while humbling ourselves to see we are no better than our worst offender....He takes us to heights unimaginable.....

Dedicated to living a lifetime of intention in Him...

Deborah