The Power Play

"Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm,confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and  remain at rest.  The Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me’? Tell the people of Israel to go forward!  Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." (Exodus 14:13-16 AMP)

Have you ever felt trapped in life?  Circumstances and situations rising against you from what seems like every direction?  Look at the Israelites and Moses.  They are standing on the brink of destruction, or so it seems.  A few days before, they were celebrating their victory over the Egyptians. God had delivered them from the depths of their slavery and now they're supposed to be marching out to their promised land.  They approach the Red Sea with no direction to turn and as they stand waiting, a vast army of Egyptians led by Pharaoh, approaches from behind wanting to wipe out the whole lot.

Life can work that way for us sometimes.  We have a great victory in our lives; that job we were praying for is offered to us, that family member we've been praying over finally decides to give their life to God. and the enemy will seek to steal, kill and destroy our victory. We get an unexpected bill in the mail or our car needs work done and the cost is high, etc. But the Bible says - "fear not!" We are victorious over the enemy and he has no authority over us!

Let's take a lesson from Moses on how we should stand when we face these circumstances.  First, notice the first words from Moses. "Fear not; stand still (Firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today."

What's the first thing we're supposed to do when trials come?  "Fear not..."  It's human nature to allow fear, doubt, and worry to creep into our thoughts when negative circumstances present themselves.  The first response is always the most important and it's vital to our overcoming the enemy.

In the medical field, doctors and nurses are responsible for caring for the sick and hurting and restoring patients to complete health.  However, it's the first responders on the scenes of emergencies that give the patients a fighting chance for survival.  It’s the first responders’ job to stabilize the patient at the scene, before the doctors and nurses even see them. Think about your words, actions, and thoughts as the first responders in trials and tribulations.  When you resist fear, doubt, and worry in the midst of difficult situations and instead speak His word,  you allow God’s victory to cover your life and your situation.

Now, what did Moses say next? "...stand still (firm, confident, undismayed.)”  To ensure victory, stand firm.  Don't allow what it looks like to drive you back into complacency.  Stand still, firm, confident, and undismayed knowing that God is your redeemer and your provider.

Always remember, you are blessed.  God has called you out of the land of oppression and He is leading you into your land of prosperity and freedom.  Keep your confessions biblical and positive through your journey and stand firm, never compromising your beliefs and your trust in Him.

I call you blessed!
Jen ~

Choosing the right relationships.

Relationships are not only a basic need for every person, they are also very key in your purpose discovery process and in fulfilling your God-given destiny.

I believe that God can speak to anyone He chooses and in various fashions. However, there are some principals that He set in place in regards to being connected to the right place/people that makes all the difference.

What makes it right?
The who, where and when come as God leads us... and trust me, He always does!
I know for myself,  from an early age I was taught the valuable lesson of listening to those around me, especially those that were older than me, to learn from what they had gained and experienced. I have to say that this principal has paid off richly in my life in so many ways.

I have also learned how to draw from these right relationships. Those relationships that I have with my pastors, mentors and leaders are not by random choosing but they are born out of divine direction felt in my own heart. In other words, I didn't just randomly pick those people, God does the picking and I have to follow up with the following!

God also uses these relationships in more ways than can be seen on the surface and its important to note that these relationships are not left for someone to pursue you but you have to go and pursue them!

Your ability to draw on these relationships comes from giving of your time, talent and abilities with an attitude of listening and learning. Yes, I am talking about serving. I am talking about giving of yourself. Today's culture pushes us to constantly ask, "what will you do for me?" but in Gods kingdom He says, "you will reap where you sow" and that what you reap will be, "pressed down, shaken together and running over."  Not a bad return rate!

The principal of sowing and reaping is very key in these types of relationships. There is an impartation that comes no other way but by giving of yourself and receiving that spiritual deposit that brings invaluable results.

 It's important to have spiritual leaders that makes a very real investment in your life.  The right mentor in your life has the ability to impart God ordained wisdom that will save you from learning things the hard way, making you that much more effective. Wisdom that will for the most part only come through such a spiritual leader is worth the investment!

Let's look at some biblical examples where people heard from the Lord in similar ways.

"The direction which came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  Arise and go down to the Potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words." (Jeremiah 18:1, 2 AMP)

God wanted to communicate with Jeremiah and He told him to leave where he was and go to the Potters house ( the place) where he could hear.
I believe this not only has to do with the physical location but also Jeremiah's willingness to listen to God.  Jeremiah was willing to submit to Gods command no matter how odd it seemed.  Because of that bold act of faith God was able to get Jeremiah the truth and revelation he needed.

I encourage you this week to do your own relationship check-up.
Make a mental list of the people that God has at one time or another prompted you to connect with, starting with your Pastor and your church. (Although there may be others leaders and mentors as well, you always want to start there.)

Then put the principal to work for you.
 Submit yourself. Give of your time, talent and abilities where you can and position yourself to receive everything God has for you.  Doing this will set you up to be a success and walk out God's destiny and purpose for your life!

I call you blessed,

Jen