" So do not fear, for I Am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
I'm sitting in the coffee shop, and the Lord's presence pressed me to write. My laptop opened ready to type; notebook out and pen on the table prepared to write. But there is ONE problem...
a HUGE BLOCK!!!
I stop, pause for a minute, and realized there is a message the Lord wants me to release to YOU.
There was a shift in my writing routine, and I must follow Holy Spirit. If you're still reading, good! Stay with me for a while. I believe God has a message for you.
I took a pause, and I asked the Lord, what would He like to say instead. After a few seconds of sitting in His presence, He showed me a vision.
I saw the hand of Christ and the sleeve of His white robe. His hand had holes where the nails pierced His hands. And thru the holes, you can see the Heavenly blue skies with bright sun shining thru His pierced hole. I saw His hand open out as an invitation to take hold of His hand.
Then He began to speak to my spirit and within my heart. And then He whispered, " I Am With You."
Whatever journey you are on, Whatever trial you are faced with, He is with you! Wherever you currently find yourself, He is with you. Whatever emotion you are encountering, He is with you. Maybe you are frustrated, depressed, anxious, confused, afraid, or angry, be still and remember that He is God and HE IS WITH YOU! (Psalm 46:10)
The path you are on, the decision you have to make, the burden you are carrying, you were never created to take it alone or upon yourself. HE IS WITH YOU! He desires to take that burden for you, He desires to show you the way, and He desires to walk this journey WITH YOU.
He is extending His hand to you to take hold! Be encouraged and remember that He will take that frustration from you and exchange it for His joy! He will take your depression and anxiety and give you peace and HOPE! He will restore your joy! He will give you clarity and take the weight off your shoulders.
Remember in Matthew 11:28-30 He calls out to us inviting us to COME to HIM! All who are tired, burdened, stressed out, depleted, etc. He invites us to come to Him and receive HIS rest. Receive His peace. He will give us His yoke and burden in exchange for ours because His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
You can come to Him with the frustrations of life, and guess what? He will be there to listen. Run to Him when you're in pain. He will be there to speak truth and heal your heart. Share with Him your fears, and He will share with you where His light shines! For it's His light that dispels the darkness. Share with Him your excitement!! He will jump up and down and JOY In excitement WITH YOU! Share with Him when you are angry, and He will bring you to an understanding! Tell Him you are confused and not sure what to do, and He will lead the way!
HE IS WITH YOU and FOR YOU!
Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. "
Prayer: Lord, I pray You be with the person reading this post and that they will be encouraged and inspired by what was released thru this post tonight. May they not leave the same. But may the understanding and revelation touch them in the way YOU have intended tonight, Lord. Father, only You know what they are currently experiencing in this current moment and season. Only You are aware of their journey. I pray that no matter where they find themselves tonight, they will in turn invite You on this journey of their heart in life. Father, I pray that You will speak to them in ways only You know how. May You 0continue to bless their path and that they recognize that it was only You. I pray that this invitation will bring them closer to You in greater intimacy. May know Your voice more clearly, and when You reveal more of yourself to them that they may know it's You without a doubt and invite You even greater. I pray that You will open their eyes to see You, and open their heart to feel and know You. Open their ears to hear You. Bless their mind and their hearts. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be also in them tonight. Encourage them tonight Jesus. I thank You for the many encounters they will embark on this journey with You, Father. I love You and praise You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Application: I would like to challenge you before you go to bed tonight, take some time and choose to do 1 of these exercises (Feel free to do all three.)
Journal: Take out a journal and play some instrumental music in the background.
(Check out William Augusto or Kyle Lovett. They are my fav!). If you're anything like me: I love loud music to tune out the world and to help focus on what is at hand, so I would advise wearing some headphones.
In your journal, write a letter to God expressing where you currently find yourself. Are you frustrated, hurt, depressed, or maybe all three? Tell Him. And Tell Him WHY. (Don't worry about perfection, or saying thee and thou. He already knows what's in your heart, but He desires us to share it with HIm still. This is a relationship. So talk to HIm like you would a normal person, like a friend)
After You have written it all out, if He hasn't already, I want you to sit still for a moment, and listen...Listen for HIS heart in the matter. And write the response. His voice can come as a whisper, maybe a repeating thought such as a specific scripture that keeps popping into mind, maybe it's an understanding you haven't thought to think about, maybe a picture or a vision may play out in your mind, maybe an audible voice. GOD is GOD and He will show up however He desires. But when He does, write it down and record it.
---- Here's a link to another post I wrote about hearing the Lord. Read this for more encouragement on this part. CLICK HERE ----
After writing what you heard God speak, write a response. Even if all He spoke was an "I Love You" or "Trust Me." Still, write a response. When you're finished with your convo with the Lord, date it and time it. As you step back, I want you to realize how much lighter you feel. Take note of what changes were made or how different you feel.
2. Go Outside and go for a walk or sit on the porch.
Whichever you decide, I want you to choose 3 things that you notice. Maybe it's a squirrel that just ran past you storing up some nuts, maybe you hear children laughing (or fighting). You might notice a bee that just almost stung your lip (true story lol), or a car driving by with loud music. Maybe, you look up in the sky and see the moon and notice how it's been a while since you have last checked out the moon. Whatever your 3 things are, I want you to find a way to THANK GOD for those three things. FIND THE BEAUTY in those three things.
After thanking God, open your heart and share with Him what is on your heart. What are you thinking? What is that ONE thing that has always been on your mind? That business idea that just keeps blocking. Maybe a memory of someone you are trying to forget. Whatever it is, good or bad, talk to HIm, and be open to hearing what He has to say.
Now, just like those 3 things you found outside to be thankful for, look at that situation that was in your heart that you found difficult or worrisome and I want you to find 3 things about that situation to be thankful for.
Example (Trying to forget a memory with an ex ): Lord, You know it really hurt me when (person) and I broke up, and it didn't work out the way I desired it to. Even if he found someone, I'm happy for him, but I wish things didn't happen the way they did. But I'm thankful that I got to meet someone like him to encourage me that there are other men out there with good hearts. Thank you for the wisdom I now have on what to look for, and how to handle when a certain situation arises. I now know and understand that it wasn't in your will for us to work out, but that's because better is coming, and when it does, this time I will be ready and have wisdom and understanding. So thank you for your growth and for protecting my heart. Etc.
3. Look in the mirror: And Repeat After Me:
Lol, ok just kidding! But seriously. I want you to look in the mirror.
As you look into the mirror, I want you to give yourself a minute, and list 3 things you believe God thinks about you.
Were any of them positive? They should've been. Do you know why? Because when He sees you, He sees Jesus. Sometimes, when we're going thru things, we don't always see correctly. In fact, our perceptions are WAY off! Especially about ourselves. We are our worst critics. We either forget who we are in HIM, or we end up believing the lies and the narrative that the enemy had been yelling in our ears all day!
Instead of focusing on the bad and what's going on, or criticizing yourself, I want you to take another look into the mirror, except this time, I want you to take a little more time to see what HE SAYS you are.
Ask God to give you His eyes and His heart for you for a second. And then start declaring over yourself OUT LOUD what He shows you.
When you're done, I'll even say take it a little further and write them down. Some things you may hear or feel Him say could be one of the following:
You are:
Faithful
Powerful
Loved- People love to be around you and in your company
A voice for His Kingdom
Satan's worst nightmare
Wise even at a young age!
You have a heart for ..............
You have a servant's heart in ways such as.......
You are anointed to ...................
You are Unique
You may ask Him: Lord how am I faithful? And then He will start listing off all the ways you are faithful when the whole time you thought you were a mess.
You might ask Him, Lord how am I wise at a young age? And then He might flash memories of when He led you to give someone advice that in the past you never would have thought of something like that.
You see, we may not always see what and how God sees. But once we get a small glimpse it changes everything in our perception.
These are a few simple ways how to invite and walk this journey with Jesus! And invite Him in the process of exploring the gift He has given us: LIFE! Some days LIFE is AMAZING! Somedays, Life is a HOT MESS! But EVERY DAY He is HERE WITH US thru it ALL.
" I AM WITH YOU." This is a reminder and promise from Jesus.
We were never created to do life by ourselves. So, what are you waiting for? Take His hand, AND LIVE!
I love you! But He loves you more! You know I can't compete with that, so I won't!
God Bless!
-Jennifer Rashell
