Faith walk vs fear walk

We as Christians (I include myself) seem so scared to really live, to take chances, to make mistakes. Especially in dating, or is that just my singleness talking? It’s like there is so much pressure to get it ‘right’ so instead we don’t try at all. It’s as if we feel if we make a mistake it’s the end of the world. But this is actually living under a spirit of fear. It shows a fear of failure, a drive towards perfection and in some ways doubting God’s sovereignty, because we think our mistakes are bigger than God’s ability to fix them. Recently I've had the revelation that God's love and ability is greater than my mistakes. Rom 8:15 says “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" God does not want us to be slaves to fear, but to know we are His children, who are loved and that He is good and will help correct our mistakes.

I went for a walk with a friend and her two sons Vincent & Kiran (see photo); Kiran is 13 months and busy toddeling along. He takes two steps and he falls on his bum, he gets up takes three steps and falls again. Every time he falls on hard bricks, but he keeps getting up and toddeling along. We (the adults) don’t shout at his attempts to walk, nor do we get mad if he falls; no instead we giggle and smile and think he is too cute for words. I think God the Father is a lot like that, he smiles when we try (even when we get it wrong). Our job is just to keep getting up again (see Prov 24:16). God has called us to freedom (Gal 5:1), so let us not get enslaved to the fear of getting things wrong. But let us instead trust Him, that He can correct our mistakes. Let us trust that He loves us and is for us, therefore we do not need to be afraid to try and can keep on trying. My pastor said that it is easier to direct a car that is moving, rather than one who is standing still. So let’s let go of the chains holding us and start holding unto our loving Father’s hand.

1 John 4:18 AMP "There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love]." You see if we had a revelation of God's love and His Father heart, we would not be afraid. Instead we would be walking in faith- trust of our Father God. Trust that He is bigger than our mistakes, tust that He can correct our mistakes and trust His heart being for us. "LORD please give us a revelation of Your father heart, that You are for us. Flood our hearts and beings with Your perfect love. Remove the chains of slavery to fear. In Jesus name Amen" 

May the LORD bless you with knowing His Father’s heart.

May the LORD keep you from fear.

May He make His face shine upon you, as He helps you get up again.
May He give you peace in the trying.

Listen to "Good good Father"
And "No longer slaves"        

Change

I've been back to a place I only left 6 months ago to find out change is inevitable. A change of restaurant, a change of the church's building and structure, the change of Fanta's logo. Strange how this can catch you- especially if it's all on one day. And especially if you have been feeling stuck- like you are going nowhere slowly, or like a bad movie on repeat. And although people remain relatively the same- my heart aches and yearns for something to stay the same, yet something in me to be made new. 

In a world that is constantly changing, constantly re-inventing itself, it gives me great comfort that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Heb 13:8. That since Jesus has been faithful to lead me in the past, He will be with me in my today and lead me in my tomorow. I can rest on Him and His steadfast love. He is our rock (see Psalm 18:2) 

Yet although He is constant, unchanging- He is willing to change us make us new, make us more like Him. You see we, as humans, get stuck, and that is perhaps why we have such a desperate need to remake ourselves, to remodel our buildings, change our brands. Yet "He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Rev 21:5. Isa 43:19 says "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." You see God wants to take our wilderness, our struggles and make something beautiful out of them. He wants to change us, make us more like Him. "We.. are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory" 2 Cor 3:18. 

So if you are looking for stability - God remains the same, yet He does not want us to remain stuck, He wants to make us new. So let us trust Him, let us look to Him, give Him our hurts so that He can produce a masterpiece- something new within us.

May the LORD bless You with knowing His faithfulness
May He keep You in His unchanging grace.
May He make His face to shine upon You, so you can trust Him.

And may He give you peace while He changes you.

A witness (El-Roi)

Recently I've had an immense need to share my life, my thoughts, my art, what happened in my day. And so I send people a picture of my walk, food, art, etc. Isn't this part of why WhatsAp, Facebook, Instragram etc are so popular. But after sending the picture I still feel dry. I've been asking myself- why this need to share? Yes part of it is that I'm lonely, another part is wanting to be significant. It is as if I need someone to witness my life. I want to know my life counts for something, I want to know someone sees and someone cares. I want to feel I'm different from the 7 bilion people on the planet- or someone notices me.

If I really knew Jesus as Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23) which means God with us- would I still be so intensely lonely? Jesus promised to never leave nor forsake us (Matt 28:20). Heb 13:5 (AMP) says "He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” If this were my heart reality I would be less lonely. 

And significance? If I realised God is witness to my life wouldn't I know I'm significant?
Let us briefly look at the story of Hagar- Sarah's maid servant. In Gen 16 we read how she became pregnant by Sarah's suggestion, and then she started looking down on Sarah. Sarah treats Hagar badly and she runs away to the wilderness, where she meets the Angel of the LORD. He tells her to go back home,  she there realizes God sees her and cares for her. Gen 16: 13 (AMP incl footnote) "Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are God Who Sees”(El-Roi= God never sleeps, He sees, He is aware, He is the great Omnipresent God); for she said, “Have I not even here [in the wilderness] remained alive after seeing Him [who sees me with understanding and compassion]?” What a beautiful revelation of God, He is the one who sees, not only does He see but He sees with understanding and compassion.

Wow! Talk about being significant. The Word says even the hairs on our head are numbered (Luke 12:7). We can know someone sees, someone cares and that is God Himself- with us, for us, seeing us with compassion and understanding. Even in our wilderness, we are not alone for we serve a God who sees.

May the LORD bless you with the heart knowledge of His presence.

May He keep you with His compassion.

May His face shine upon you, knowing He sees You.

And may He give you peace in knowing He is with You.

Poem: Sunday Rest

Sunday Rest

With a huff and a puff we pant up the hill.

To sit half way high on a rock...

I wish to savour this moment-

to put it in my pocket and save it for a rainy day.

We listen to the land breathe,

feel the wind trickling over us.

The birds coo a worship song,

as the grass bows its head in praise before its maker.

and on the seventh day God rested..

and enjoyed creation.

Here in this moment I remember to be;

remember to breathe.

Here I remember I am in His hands;

that there is still beauty to be seen in a fallen world.