God has a different way of looking at things.  His thoughts are higher and so are His ways.  Because He created us according to His image and likeness, He desires our minds renewed that we may be conformed to His thoughts and ways resulting to our transformed lives by meditating His word day and night.

Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).  The more we hear, the more we get filled.  I believe hearing is not just to sit in a pew listening to a preacher but if we desire to get deeper in our relationship with God, we find time and spend it in His presence, communing with Him.  Developing intimacy with Him takes devotional time designated and dedicated to Him alone.  This is where we develop our spiritual ears to hear His voice that softens our hearts to obey what He speaks.

The Passion Translation of Psalm 27:4 is just one beautiful invitation to meditate on.

“Here’s one thing I crave from God, the one thing I seek above all else:  I want the privilege of living with Him every moment in His house, finding the sweet loveliness of His face, filled with awe, delighting in His glory and grace.  I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE SO CLOSE TO HIM THAT HE TAKES PLEASURE IN MY EVERY PRAYER.“

When we develop our confidence that He takes pleasure in our every prayer, what then can stop us from praying?  Of course, He takes us from strength to strength, from faith to faith, from glory to glory.  I, for sure, am still learning to live my life intimately with Him everyday, learning to be more aware of His presence every given moment.

Every morning I always ask the Holy Spirit to fill and flood me with the richest measure of His divine presence.  By faith, I believe He does, for His word says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be filled.  But the manifestation of His fullness differs every day.

One day I was so sick.  I threw up badly twice in the night and into the next day.  I was so weak that all I did was lie down and sleep.  Thank God it was one of those days when my house help was on duty so at least I had company and someone to help me.   But in the course of the day, I noticed that she, too, had her own life’s challenge to face which was much more heavier than what I was facing.  While she was massaging my hands and feet, she was telling me her story.  Instead of thinking and feeling what I was going through, the Lord’s compassion that flowed in and through me zeroed in on her.  My focus shifted from being the one who was needy of help into the one who was ready to encourage and be of help.  Before the day ended, she asked me to pray for her in spite of my physical weakness.

A lot of times we think that unless we are so physically fit, able and spiritually ready, only then we can be a blessing.  But the Lord opened my eyes to a new and living way.  I believe we are to be ready in and out of season.  Ready in a true sense of being yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit.   When He woes us to do something in spite of what we may think is not possible at that given moment and He finds our hearts surrendered and submitted, He just postured us to unleash His power to flow through us.  It is not by might, nor by power but by the Spirit of God.

One of the secrets that I have learned when the Lord commissioned Joshua to lead the people of Israel after Moses’ death was to be conscious of the Lord’s presence.  Before anything else, the Lord gave him a promise, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5). Then, He said to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage (v.6), only be strong and very courageous (v.7), “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (v.9).”  What we are conscious of, we are positioned to possess and dispose.  When we know that the One Who is with us is Strong and Mighty, then we can be strong and be of good courage IN HIM not just for ourselves but for those around us.

When my house help opened the door before leaving my house, she said, “I feel much better,  lighter and hopeful”.  Her focus and trust in the Lord became more real than the situation she was in.  Glory to God.  Then, I thought I just experienced a part of the verse above …  “I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE SO CLOSE TO HIM THAT HE TAKES PLEASURE IN MY EVERY PRAYER.“

That same late night after she left, I slept some more and when I woke up right before midnight, I knew I was totally healed.  All glory and praise to God.  His word says, He always watches His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12) and yes, He did.  “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25 ESV)

Truly His strength and power is made perfect for our weakness and His grace is always sufficient that we get to be strong in Him and in the power of His might.

Declare this with me today!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You, for opening our eyes to see that when our hearts are yielded, submitted and surrendered to Your Spirit, we are ready in and out of season.  Thank You for opportunities that come along our way that we get to diffuse Your fragrance and beauty to those who are discouraged.  Thank You, Jesus, for being the Light in us that breaks forth and shines through us, giving hope to the hopeless.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for leading us every step of the way, trusting You beyond what we can comprehend.  Amen!