Dream....From the depths of your soul reach out and fathom a life of endless possibilities. See through the faithful eyes of a child and envision IT ALL as possible. Breath and remember that you have inhaled the mighty spirit of God that strengthens you to the marrow of your bones. Arouse the the withered desires of your heart and make more than a rift in the the river of this life - you were made for more than comfort and contentment. Seek His face and allow His vision to come to fruition through you. That which seems inconceivable He has already conceived.
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God I will strengthen you, Yes I will help you..." Isaiah 41:10
I haven't been part of Caffeinated Randomness for the last month. I've been away at Montclair State working for Upward Bound - Computerless :( I get a few minutes here and there but not very much.
I would like to have you know that today is the last day I will be studying for the Praxis. God willing everything will go well tomorrow and I will be able to teach come September. I know God set's everything up with perfect understanding and time. These last weeks that I spent living with these kids (13-17 yr olds) they have made me laugh, smile, happy, mad, annoyed, frustrated but thrilled for having invited me into their lives. I know that if teaching is what God wants for me right now, he has definitely set a good foundation for me to begin.
"As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD.Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?"Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."The Sea Is Divided. But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever."The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning I read this passage at a fellow blogger's her page, Patterings. I read this story so many times before but this verse struck me today.
The people were hard pressed between a hard rock and a hard place. They lost sight of the God that loved them and were consumed by fear. They looked to one side and there was Pharoh with His army . They looked to the other side and the sea was roaring. Fear became accusation...Their Faith had failed. Moses is standing with them...He's stuck with the same army and the same sea...and accusations being thrown at Him. He was completely alone. But Moses was different. I'm sure he was gripped with fear...but it did not consume him. He trusted the God that brought Him to this place. He trusted and rested in the calling set for him. He said: "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever." He not only heard God speak..but he believed. How many times have you heard God's voice and still questioned if it was really Him. How close are you to your Abba Father, to your rabbi. Do you hear Him when he calls. Moses Did. I want to be a woman on faith like Moses was a man of faith.
Then he follows-up with: "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent." This is something i've been learning during this season. I'm still here working at Montclair State for Upward Bound. Frustration quickly sets in...I pour everything out for the kids and my employers....Work like i'm working for God. I have to learn to be content that God is pleased even when others are not. I have been thrown under the bus, disrespected and unappreciated. Friday I was really tested, but Praise God I rested in His perfect peace knowing the battle does not belong to me. I no reason to fret, I do the best I can and give 100%. So I kept silent and did not fight. I trusted that my Abba, Father would redeem me...Because I know Him, and I trust Him. He is faithful and just. He fought for me when I kept silent.
So lets be like Moses and rest in the fortitude of His faithfulness, keeping silent while the Lord fights for us.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus."
Romans 8:38-39
Paul is writing this to the Roman church and he's getting so excited because he's getting to know God more and God is getting deeper and deeper. He is getting to know who Father God is and how much He loves him. He is taking him to higher and higher levels of faith and while Paul is opening up his heart more, the Holy Spirit begins to move in him to the point of no containment, he says: "I am convinced...that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God."
I don't know if you might be thinking "I know God loves me, let's move on to something deeper." But do you really know the love of God...the love of Abba, Father. Are you confidently dwelling in His presence knowing that no matter what you do or don't do, say or don't say, feel or don't feel, understand or don't understand His love for you will never change. Do you KNOW that regardless of where you are, God's love is constant? Before you answer, stop and think...
For years I thought I knew, but when my faith was tested I realized I wasn't fully convinced. I made mistakes and felt too ashamed to even face God…he wanted me to come and rest in His arms, to feel His forgiveness, but I wanted to go hide my nakedness. He knew it all and I wanted to redeem myself and prove that I can be righteous. I went to church, read my bible, and tried to fight temptations. I stayed away from certain people, talked to people about God, and tried to be a “good Christian.” I told myself: “I know only God can transform me, and make me new. I know He is the only one who can redeem me and make me righteous. I know he will forgive me and that he loves me.” I knew the truth, but I didn’t understand as well as I thought I did. I denied myself peace and rested in condemnation. I didn’t talk to anyone about what I was going through and didn’t have anyone to keep me accountable. I grew so accustomed to being alone that I didn’t realize how lonely I was. I thought I was just fine because I still talked to God, but conversations were superficial and I never let Him probe deep enough into my heart. Depression had consumed me like a roller coaster for years and every time I felt “better” I said I would never allow myself to feel that again. But instead of resting in my Abba Father’s arms, I tried resisting and fighting against words and consuming emotions. I can do all things...but didn’t allow Christ to strengthen me.
I didn’t live what I knew…didn’t fully understand the difference between knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
“By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures”
Isaiah 24:3-4
Knowledge of God filled my spirit with beautiful truths of a loving, merciful and righteous father. Wisdom helped me build a foundation for understanding in which I could apply the word of God to my life. But my lack of understanding prevented me from ascertaining to the truth I find in Him.
-He shows no favoritism
-I am beautifully and wonderfully made
-I am accepted and adopted
-I am forgiven
-I am comforted
-I am righteous
-I am new
-I am healed
-I am enough
-I have a future and a purpose
-I am desired
-I am loved.
No matter what I am told or have been told. No matter what I do or have done. No matter what I endure or have endured. God is the all loving all powerful God. I don’t presume to fully comprehend the incomprehensible vastness of God…My mind is not fully capable…We don’t love like God loves. His love is patient, kind, doesn’t envy or boast, it’s not proud or rude, its not self-seeking or easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
He is my Abba Father, my Papa…he loves me and he loves you.
Are you, unintentionally, still trying to earn his love...thinking that your 'good behavior' will make God happier with you, make him love you more. Or are you so close to your Abba Father to the point of no containment - convinced that NOTHING can separate you from His love.
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
Song of the Day: Beautiful by Phil Wickham Have you told him today?
I see Your face in every sunrise The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes The world awakens in the light of the day I look up to the sky and say You’re beautiful
I see Your power in the moonlit night Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright We are amazed in the light of the stars It’s all proclaiming who You are You’re beautiful, You're beautiful
I see you there hanging on a tree You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne Soon we will be coming home You’re beautiful, you're beautiful
When we arrive at eternity’s shore Where death is just a memory and tears are no more We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring Your bride will come together and we’ll sing You’re beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful
I see Your face, You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful I see Your face, You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful I see Your face, I see Your face I see Your face, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be abe to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God. "
I haven't been part of Caffeinated Randomness for the last month. I've been away at Montclair State working for Upward Bound - Computerless :( I get a few minutes here and there but not very much. 
