Saturday, December 26, 2015

small beginnings



often,
"[[I am a God of small beginnings.]]

just look at My Son. "


the hands of the One who stretched out the heavens,
on whose palms we are inscribed upon...
the hands of the One whom through all things were made,
that contain the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind...
the hands of the One who holds all things together,
and yet carefully captures every tear...

the hands -- completely clean, never once carrying their own sin, that willingly reached out and broke through every rational, medical and Mosaic Law thinking and cleansed the most unclean.
the hands that brought healing and freedom and deliverance and restoration to all that came hungry and needy, knowing that to just brush up against those fingertips meant life.
the hands that split the bread while His lips split open with thanks-- as they all watched in awe, as they all ate and had their fill--- eating from the very hand of God.

the hands that clenched tight, wrestling in prayer, as the blood sweat through His pores.
the hands that gripped and rubbed raw and dug deep into the wood that they carried, knowing full well He would soon hang upon it.
the hands, the very hands, that bled crimson red, bearing the nails as He bore our sickness and sin.

the feet of the One whose footstool is the earth,
at which John, the Beloved disciple fell down at as though he were dead..
the feet of the One whose footsteps we are to follow in, even if in suffering,
that the enemy of our souls is already placed under.
the feet of the One who alone tramples the waves of the sea,
that wore down and covered dirty the sandals that the one crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way, declared he was unworthy of even untying.

the feet that took ground and authority and brought the Kingdom of heaven to earth at each step, yet were
humbly washed with the tears and hair of that desperate Mary of Bethany, as she poured out on them the fragrance of her life.the feet that demonstrated how lovely on the mountains they are bringing good news, announcing peace and bringing good news of happiness, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
the feet of God that walked with man--showing man how to walk with God..
the feet that purposefully trudged that road to Calvary, feeling the weight with each step of the burden of humanity He carried and the destiny He'd meet at His destination on that hill in the place called The Skull.
the feet, the very feet, that bled crimson red, bearing the nails as He fulfilled that Genesis 3 prophecy, 'you will bite her child's foot, but HE will crush your head'
.

those holy, pure, strong hands.
those sacred, dignified, beautiful feet.

first appeared so small.
so tender and fragile. so insignificant and weak.




so Beloved,
[do not despise that humble, hidden, lowly work. ]

both inward-- in those deepest places within you, where I'm masterfully working, beginning, transforming..
and outward-- in those unexpected even naturally undesired places around you, where I'm calling you to serve and love and lay your life down..

because those places
the ones that seem the most small. the most insignificant.
there's something
holy, other-worldly in them.



and just as that Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
was missed-- missed,
altogether looked-over,
just because He didn't come as they expected,
as they hoped,
as they wanted.

let's be careful not to miss Him-- today, dear one.
even if that thing, that work, that calling,
looks different-- maybe even smaller than we envisioned or anticipated.

He knows what He is doing.
we just need eyes to see it.


Thursday, December 3, 2015

misplaced affections--removing the mask to our hunger.

this is a season of the Lord realigning and redirecting misplaced desires and affections.
revealing those areas in our hearts where we think we will be most satisfied and what our affections are set on-- that are really just a mask over the Holy Spirit.

He's saying..

>>
that thing
that place
that person
that opportunity
that dream
even that godly work/ministry
that is consuming your thoughts and affections.
that you're believing will bring "the more" you want in life but seems out of reach or unattainable, even just for this season.
[[it's not what you're actually hungry for.]]
He has already come and given you life and life abundant. it is ALWAYS attainable.
and your desire for MORE is good-- it's from Him.
but if it's bringing you to a place of discouragement, thoughts of failure, bitterness, disappointment, condemnation, thinking that God is withholding--
then beloved, your affections are misplaced and your hunger is being masked.
<<

isn't that just like the enemy.. to take a desire that is intended and has the power to drive us into more of Him and flipping it around and making it drive us into discouragement and defeat.He is realigning our hearts with Him, setting all of our affections on Him, unmasking that God-given hunger and passion for FULL LIFE as a beautiful catalyst into more of Him-- not dissatisfaction and waiting for "someday".
What is masking your hunger and desire today? What earthly or even "spiritual" pursuit and longing is parading around in your mind as the fulfillment to what God has for you or the answer to full life-- taking the place of your pursuit and longing for more of the Spirit?

because beloved, He already HAS given us EVERYTHING we need for LIFE and GODLINESS. (2 Peter 1:3).
don't be enticed into thinking that it's found anywhere other than in His divine power.