Have You Seen God Move?

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.

God is moving today. He is moving powerfully and wonderfully. He is moving in the most unlikely of vessels. He is moving to make bold leaders from the fearful. He is moving to make bright lights from those hidden in the shadows. He is moving to make pillars of strength from the weak in character. He is moving to make vessels of honor for His use from the stained and dirty. He is moving to make victorious warriors from those who were bound and imprisoned. He is moving to make trumpets of joy from the depressed and grieving. He is making teachers of truth from the foolish. He is moving to make prophetic visionaries from the blind and myopic.

Luke 18:27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Have you seen Him move lately? Are you looking for Him to move? Are you looking for Him to move in the right places?

He is moving to take the things that are not and make them so, because He can. It is those that are, and know it, that become unyielding vessels in which He cannot work.

Our God specializes in the impossible so I will stop praying for the mundane. I will stop waiting for the ordinary. I am going to pray for the AMAZING and wait for the MIRACULOUS. Why wouldn’t I? Nothing is too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:17).

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the [crushed] and [depressed] of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the [depressed] And to revive the heart of the [crushed].”

When I see or experience a great deficit than I will know it is the perfect opportunity for His filling.

When I see or experience an overwhelming burden than I will know it is the perfect opportunity for Him to carry it.

When I see or experience incapacitating weakness than I will know it is the perfect opportunity for His strength to be perfected.

When I see or experience the sorrow of something dead or missing than I will know it is the perfect opportunity for Him resurrection to bring new life.

When I see or experience a complete and utter lack of love than I will know it is the perfect opportunity for His unfailing love to ignite a flame of passion that cannot be extinguished.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Lord is giving us a vision for our future and it is good, because it is ALL Him. We don’t have to understand it or try to figure out what it looks like in an ever disheartening view of our circumstances and culture, because faith is the principle by which we live. And that small window that He is giving us to Him moving in the weak, the foolish, the grieving, the fearful, and the despised is His Light reminding us that He isn’t done being a God of Miracles yet.

Numbers 11:23 The LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”

Psalm 145 in Action

Psalm 145

(1) I will exalt You, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. (2)  I will praise You every day; yes, I will praise You forever.  (3) Great is the LORD!  He is most worthy of praise!  No one can measure His greatness. (4) Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power.  (5) I will meditate on Your majestic, glorious splendor and Your wonderful miracles.  (6) Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim Your greatness.  (8)  The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  (9) The LORD is good to everyone.  He showers compassion on all His creation.  All of your works will thank You, LORD, and Your faithful followers will praise You.  (10) All of Your works will thank You, LORD, and Your faithful followers will praise You.  (11) They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom; they will give examples of Your power.  (12) They will tell about Your might deeds and about the majesty and glory of Your reign.  (13) For Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.  You rule throughout all generations.  The LORD always keeps His promises; He is gracious in all He does.  (14) The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.  (15) The eyes of all look to You in hope; You give them their food as they need it.  (16) When You open Your hand, You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.  (17) The LORD is righteous in everything He does; He is filled with kindness.  (18) The LORD is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth.  (19) He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them.  (20) The LORD protects all those who love Him, but He destroys the wicked.  (21) I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless His holy name forever and ever.

Exalt [Him] I will lift Him up.

Praise [His name; Him] I will admire, honor and worship Him.

Tell [of His mighty acts] I tell others what He has done for me.

Proclaim [His power] I will tell others how His power benefited me.

Meditate [His majestic splendor and miracles] I will continually think of how wonderful and great He is, and of all the ways He has intervened on my behalf.

Thank [Him] I will be consciously grateful for all He has given me and done for me.

Speak [of the glory His Kingdom] I will tell others of the wonderful place He has provided for His people in eternity.

Give examples [of His glory] I will tell others specific stories of how He exalted Himself through circumstances in my life to His credit and for my good.

Call [on Him] I will call on Him and not on others when I am in need.

Fear [Him] I will honor and respect Him because He is God.

Cry [to Him for help] I will cry to Him alone when I need help, trusting Him to be there for me at all times.

Love [Him] I will love Him in a personal, devoted way that includes obedience and submission.

Bless [His Holy Name] I will walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

THEREFORE,

When I am feeling like my life is out of control, I will remember that my God:

Is King

Is great

Is powerful

Is near

Answers my prayers

I will exalt Him, meditate on His majestic splendor and call on Him.

THEREFORE,

When I am feeling sad, I will remember that my God:

Is compassionate

Exercises unfailing love

Is close at hand

I will praise Him, meditate on His miracles, thank Him, cry to Him for help and love Him.

THEREFORE,

When I have sinned, I will remember that my God:

Is merciful

Is compassionate

Is slow to anger

Exercises unfailing love

Is good

Keeps His promises

Is gracious

Is righteous

Saves

I will exalt Him, fear Him, love Him and bless Him.

THEREFORE,

When I am worried, I will remember that my God:

Is God

Is King

Is Great

Exercises unfailing love

Is powerful

Keeps His promises

Is willing to help

Satisfies the hunger and thirst of His people

Is Near

Answers prayers

Saves

Protects

Destroys the wicked

I will exalt Him, meditate on His majestic splendor and past miracles, will proclaim His power and will cry out to Him for help.

THEREFORE,

When I am feeling lonely, I will remember that my God:

Is compassionate

Exercises unfailing love

Is good

Keeps His promises

Gracious

Is close at hand

I will praise Him, thank Him, love Him, call to Him, and bless Him.

THEREFORE,

When I am afraid, I will remember that my God:

Is God

Is King

Is Great

Exercises unfailing love

Always Keeps His promises

Is near

Answers prayers

Saves

Protects

Destroys the wicked

I will exalt Him, praise Him, tell of His mighty acts, meditate on His splendor and miracles, fear Him, cry to Him for help, love Him and bless Him.

THEREFORE,

When I am sick, I will remember that my God:

Is compassionate

Exercises unfailing love

Is good

Keeps His promises

Is willing to help

Satisfies those who have need

Is near

Answers prayers

Saves

Protects

I will proclaim His power, meditate on His miracles, give examples of His glory, cry to Him for help, and love Him.

Bend Low in Favor

Psalms 119:132, 135 Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Your manner with those who love Your name… Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.

•  Turn to me:  implies turning to face
• Gracious:  to bend and stoop in favor to an inferior
• After Your manner:  literally, judgment or judicial verdict.  The same word rendered judgments and ordinances in other places.

My translation:  Turn to me, bending low in favor just as You have ordained grace for those who love Your name. Illuminate Your face so that Your servant will not miss it, and teach me Your written laws.

If the unfolding of the Lord’s words gives light, how much more will the presence of His face illuminate the darkness of this world?

The psalmist presents a need to his Heavenly Father, knowing full well that he does not deserve to receive the very thing he requires.

 He paid a debt He did not owe;

I owed a debt I could not pay;

I needed someone to wash my sins away.

And, now, I sing a brand new song,

“Amazing Grace.”

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

 

He paid that debt at Calvary.

He cleansed my soul and set me free.

I’m glad that Jesus did all my sins erase.

I, now, can sing a brand new song,

“Amazing Grace.”

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

 

One day He’s coming back for me

To live with Him eternally.

Won’t it be glory to see Him on that day!

I, then, will sing a brand new song,

“Amazing Grace.”

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

Yes, Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.

–Ellis J. Crum

The intimate presence of the Heavenly Father is all a child needs to send fear packing so that he can rest well in the arms of love.  The heart embraced by grace loves all the more deeply and fully.  How can it not?

Psalm 80:7 O God of hosts, restore us And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

2Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

O, Lord, bow low so that I can see Your face of Grace before me.  I can, in no way, rise to meet Your gaze, for my face is ever in the dirt.  I need Your face to shine upon me to restore my faith and my purpose.  Consume my view so that nothing will govern my choices or my emotions.  Be huge in my sight and be my vision forever.

Recognition, Even in the Dark

Psalms 119:55  O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law.

•  Remember:  Same as verse 49 – to mark so as to be recognized.

Nights are cold, dark, and menacing.  We must remind ourselves of the time in which this psalm was written: a time before electricity, a time without artificial light and heat. During the winters, especially, the nights would have been longer than the daylight hours.  Are there not seasons when it feels as if there are more darkness than light?

Obviously the psalmist was disturbed, or else he would have been sleeping at night, snug in his bed.  It seems that the enemy’s influence is especially loud in the dark of the night.  The cure is not TV, or Internet, or sleeping pills.  The cure for voices in our head that swirl to condemn and tempt us is the Light of God’s Presence.  The Psalmist remembered God’s name, referring to His Character and to Who He Was.  In essence, the psalmist snuggled up to the heat and brightness of His Heavenly Father and, by doing so, found his own heart and mind set ablaze to stand firm against the shadows.

What does this look like?

A mama to have her day rehearsed for her over and over, in which she feels like all she did was yell at her kids.  A young man who has fallen to the same temptation yet again to feel the overwhelming knowledge that tomorrow will be no different.  A seasoned pastor who stands and preaches the Truth of God’s word faithfully year after year to see no evidence except it is falling on deaf ears.  A couple who have gone to bed and are separated by a continual frigidity of apathy toward one another.  A widow who remembers the feel of her husband long gone, which makes bed all the more cold and lonely.

Some days are like that.  Sometimes there is alot of truth in the accusations or feelings that we find ourselves driven deeper and deeper into the cold and dark of hopelessness.  When our eyes become so focused on our own character, actions and short-falls essentially they become like one who has macular degeneration so that all that is seen is peripheral.  The center, the truth, is lost to the fringe elements so that it very hard to really see things for what they really are.  The enemy knows that and takes advantage of the darkness to pour on the evidence against us.

John 8:12  Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Therefore, in the darkness of self-floggings, we must turn our eyes away from our own short-falls and focus on the Perfect One.  Lies can only be man-handled by the Truth.  The Truth of Who God Is shines its light on the hazy images of our own worthlessness and reminds us who we are by God’s grace and faithfulness.

 When I lose my way and I forget my name, remind me who I am.

In the mirror all I see is who I don’t want to be… remind me who I am.

In the loneliest places, when I can’t remember what grace is.

Tell me once again, who I am to You… who I am to You.

Tell me lest I forget who I am to You… that I belong to You… to You.

When my heart is like a stone and I’m running far from home, remind me who I am.

When I can’t receive the love, afraid I’ll never be enough, remind me who I am.

If I’m Your Beloved, can You help me believe it?

Tell me once again, who I am to You… who I am to You.

Tell me lest I forget who I am to You… that I belong to You… to You.

I’m the one You love, I’m the one You love

I will be enough, I’m the one You love!

Tell me once again, who I am to You… who I am to You.

Tell me lest I forget who I am to You… that I belong to You… to You.

— Jason Gray

The Light of the World loves you.  You belong to Him.  He is far greater than any thought or voice that stands in the darkness waiting to assail you.  He is a warrior (Exodus 15:3).  He is the your banner, raised up to protect you (Exodus 17:15).  He is a consuming fire in the presence of which darkness cannot stand (Deuteronomy 4:24).  He is your dwelling place and His everlasting arms are holding you securely (Deuteronomy 33:27).  He is a shield all about you and He is the One to lift your head above the darkness (Psalm 3:3).  He is a righteous judge who has declared you innocent because the price was paid for your redemption (Psalm 7:11).  The Lord is the best part of your life and He supports your welfare (Psalm 16:5).  He is your rock in which you are safe from all enemies (Psalm 18:2).  The Lord is your hiding place; He preserves you from trouble and surrounds you with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7).  He is your confidence and will not allow you to be ensnared (Proverbs 3:26).

•  (Psalms 27:1) The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
• (Psalms 84:11) For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
• (Micah 7:8) Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.

You don’t have to stay in the darkness.  Draw near to the Lord, remembering who He is and who you are in light of His grace.  Let His truth light the flame of faith and sleep well as it illuminates the shadows to reveal that there is nothing beyond His reach.

Lord God, when sleep eludes me and when the darkness whispers to me, come and light my bedside by the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Remind me of the truth of Your word, of who You are, so that I will rest in peace and security.  Though the night should be long, be a light for me for I trust in You alone.