I once heard this statement: God does not call the qualified but qualifies the called. Perfection is only found in Christ Jesus and we are in Him so it goes to figure that we are being perfected along this journey but.....we are not there yet and we work out our salvation day by day. That includes times of testing that hold great relevancy to where exactly God is taking us. We don't always see it when we are IN IT but we actually don't need to. We just need to trust. Trust Him 100%.
The wilderness............hot, dry, lonely, uncomfortable, irritable, anxious, fearful, angry, unforgiving - you choose one or more of the above to describe the emotions you deal with at any given moment. These are being drawn up and out of you and me as we are in this place of confinement. Hey, it is just flat out uncomfortable in this place. In this place, we are exposed to the elements within ourselves. The elements of various emotions or bondages that need deliverance in order for us to walk in a greater level of wholeness and healing. We are being conformed to the image of Christ and He is perfecting us to carry greater weights of His glory.
What else is the wilderness for? So that we come out looking better? No.....................so that He comes out looking better..........IN US and THROUGH US.
The called are qualified in this time and season. We all will endure this time and willingly walk through this time if we are going to carry His glory and walk in greater anointing and authority. There is NO bypassing this no matter how hard we try. He alone qualifies the called with His sovereign plan for each and everyone of us. You me and whoever is willing to enter this fire will see that in order to share His glory we must share His sufferings. Greater sufferings qualify us for greater glory. We will never bypass the cross being worked through our life. Never. So on to something personal that perhaps you can each relate to in this blog. At least I hope so.
My pain, my time. I discovered I did not really trust God. I could quote Scripture. I could revel in the amount of prophecies that had been spoken over me. I could even be a leader but................to bring my trust level up, God separated me to show me that He is faithful and He is enough. He did this in the wilderness for me. I had a plan for my Christian life and I was intent to work my plan..........my way. Thank you Lord! God had another way and because I love Him, I walked His way. Not always with ultimate submission but at least I walked. I was scared.
I can remember times of 'bottoming out' when conflict and tension arose from aligning my expectations into His reality for my life. My expectations and desires simply had to die, sometimes a slow painful death. I had to come face to face with my biggest fear. What was it? That God would simply pass me by. That I was unqualified to be placed into my destiny and purpose. This thought drove me into deep weeks of discouragement where I was surrounded by the devil's lies as he tried hard to make me believe this in many different ways. I was surrounded by a cloud of lost hope and lost dreams and darkness. I walked in a fog for a long time, confined while I saw others passing me by day by day. It hurt and I can still feel the pain right now as I write this but I am doing this for you. Those were lies which I no longer believe. God is faithful. For me and for you.
God never let up. He kept asking me that simple question. "Am I enough?" Each time I answered Him, more seemed to be stripped away from my life. I was indeed being qualified in my call by God, not by man.
There were days, during this time, of deep intercession when the cry of my heart was not verbalized but came forth through a deep groaning in my Spirit. "What do You want from me Lord?" I remember weeks on end crying this out. A river of tears came forth in this time which was opening up a well of life in me.
In answer to the question...."What do You want from me Lord?"
He said "I want YOU!"
Selah
Hello Marvin & Debra! I have been 'behind the scenes' for quite some time now (I believe that's where The LORD wants me for now, and it's a comforting 'Corral') . I have never stopped praying for you and your ministry. I think of both of you often, there are fond memories and thoughts of blessings! (Numbers 6:24-26 to you, your family and friends.) I am praying that scripture for you regulary. Please read it. God Bless! JimF-Calgary AB
ReplyDeleteI began to realize the opportunity to lay my life down while feeling abosolutly nothing from God..He was just there waiting on me, because I too cried a millon tears and say those very same words."What do you want Lord, from me." same reply. As I crumble from my "Self" I began to see, the turmoil within boiling out of my SOUL, I felt lost, lonely but yet I new He was there inside my heart, loving me, watching careful in case I tried to jump from His arms of love. It was a long process, but when the freedom of knowing and experiencing HIM in a greater measure, I began to relax and know. "all is well within my Soul." the trust and freedom is a beautiful place to be..but there is always one more thing.He loves us so much that we can only move in HIS time and allow His love to bring un into HIS kingdom..I will run..but I will keep the pace HE has set before me...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good word..they do help..in my Prayers.
Brenda Vaught
Little Rock ARkansas
My birth mother died when I was 3. My father and the young woman he was having an affair with then came into my life to raise me. I was physically, verably, and sexually abused before I left elementary school. I was married young, had 2 children, rejected and divorced by the first 2 men. The 3rd husband, a man 16 yrs younger, the Lord brought into my life and supernaturally prophesied He would give us 10 yrs. together. We both thought He would be returning for us in 1988, but within the 2 weeks of the 10yrs. that husband (the most godly man I've ever known) had a farming accident, fell into 22,000 tons of his sunflower seeds he was taking to market and while wearing his eagle T-shirt that said, "I will mount up with wings as eagles, he followed the Son home. Leaving me once again feeling lost, alone and abandoned. The Lord spoke to me and said, "I want you to take everything you have and give it away, for if you had a husband or a bank account, "That's what you would trust in" And then come on this journey with Me, learning how to love the bent and broken by trusting in Me. Four months later I found myself at the top of the Mount of B attitudes, screaming out, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" He said, "I want you to be "agreeable" with me" also He said, "If I could have done it any other way, I would have, you have to learn to Trust and Believe ME, no matter the circumstances. That was 13 years ago and I am Gratefully Broken, and singing under the shadow of His wings...Practicing kindness and still learning! Perfect love cast out all fear (1Jn.4:18) and love covers all sin (Prov.10:12)
ReplyDeleteLong story short: I have met you Debra few times in Finland. It´s so important,that you are A WOMAN!!!
ReplyDeleteWhere ever I go,I see mostly men "doing the job".
Women warriors, fighting for Him, seaking for Him.
VERY important.No more silence.
Daily I´m surrounded by a such amount of unbelief,that it almost suffocates me. It hurts physically and spiritually. The press is strong.
But: the one who is in you is geater than the one who is in the world.(1John4:4-6).
HE.IS.ENOUGH.
-katja
Selah
ReplyDeleteAmen and right on, Debra...will be praying about that work in California....
ReplyDeleteHe is more than enough and the Author and Perfector of our faith.
Many thanks for your obedience to the call and the process which will continue to bear much fruit which remains....
Helen