Category Archives: Protection

“To Trust or to Understand”

Calling, Freedom, Healing, Journey, Peace, Protection, redemption, Rest

We all have a vague idea of what we think our lives should look like, at least what our feeble minds can fathom, but are we okay, surrendered to the Father if that changes and our lives shift so completely and we barely recognize who we are or where we are?

On the darkest of nights when the waves of pain hit you with searing blows, and the tears spill down your cheeks like a torrential river. Your heart feels like it’s been ripped in two and your lofty dreams lay shattered all across the floor on display for all the world to see.

On the day when the battle has been the realest yet, the storm is raging all around and within you, you cling to the tiniest glimmer of hope you see, yet the final blustery gusts of the storm batter your weak and exhausted body and you sink to the floor in utmost despair.

When yet another wave of grief has hit your spirit and as the new day dawns, it seems to take every ounce of strength to even get your feet on the floor and then you wonder how you will ever manage to stay on your feet?

The truth is, each one of you have experienced one or all of the scenarios above. It’s hard for our feeble minds to process through any one of the scenarios mentioned above and see the good in any of it, but is it really for us to see or even understand why God is having us walk this season of life?

There seems to be a lot of focus on understanding every scenario we are faced with, when really all the Father wants us to do is trust Him, resting and knowing that He, ultimately is the One in control and He will take care of us just as He promises.

What is our motive behind needing to understanding everything we face? Is it because we don’t trust God to be faithful and reveal His perfect plan for each moment of our lives, and we want to hang on to at least a fragment, in our feeble attempt to control what is really completely out of our hands.

Oh dear ones, may the Lord instill grace, abundant grace as you walk forth, in the season of life you are in! May He give strength to take that next step, and may you know and believe that He can be trusted, even tho the circumstances make absolutely no sense to you.

You are loved!

“Beyond the Surface”

Freedom, Healing, Journey, Love, Protection, redemption, Rest, restoration

Seeing you walk down the street I would have never guessed the level of pain you had faced in your young life here on earth, but then you allowed me to come closer, you invited me into your space. You welcomed me with open arms into your abode, you served from your meager supply and I felt right at home with you. Sitting across the table from you, I began to see study your face and your eyes told of unimaginable levels of pain and shame from your past. We discussed minor things and then eventually moved into deeper things of life and your eyes became downcast and you could no longer meet my gaze. So I handed you a piece of paper and you began to write. As the paper filled up, so did your eyes with countless tears. Your penmanship changed as you described very difficult times in your young life and my heart wept for you as I read your story. I wanted so badly to take the pain away, but I couldn’t, I could only point you to the great Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer. He is able to exceedingly above and beyond all we can ask or think.

Days later we sat beside each other in a church service and you reached for my hand, you gently massaged it and then lovingly held it in your hand as we listened to the Word of God being preached. It was then that the Lord spoke to me and confirmed what I had begun to perceive and understand and it was this:

“In every nation, every tribe and tongue, there’s two main desires that every person has; to know they belong and that they are loved”

It does not matter how pain you have experienced or how much turmoil there has been in your life, there is still a desire to be loved and to belong. It’s a desire put there by Your Heavenly Father to draw you close to Him! It’s nothing to be ashamed of, we are created to be dependent upon Him!

One can try to hide those desires by filling life to the brim with carnal things, but they will not fill the void within your heart, and you will find yourself running on E constantly. Yes, carnal things may bring temporary happiness, but then you will need something else to fill that void. It’s only in the Father, that you will find unending Joy! He is the real Joy giver.

My dear friend, you will not fill that longing deep with your heart, until you run to the Father and allow Him to minister to your heart and spirit. Listen to the words of the psalmist, most likely inspired in a painful time in his own life:

“The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalms‬ ‭145:8-9‬

Now my friend, I challenge you, will you dare to go below the surface and allow the Lord to use you and speak to you, to bring healing to your own life and to those around you? Will you allow Him to use you to Be His hands and feet?

“He’s Always Faithful”

Calling, Healing, Journey, Love, Peace, Protection, redemption, Rest

When all around me seems uncertain

The need before me ever so great

Oh Father, I choose to trust You

You’re always on time and never late!

Oh Father, will you come and meet us here?

We are in desperate need of You!

We thank You that Your Mercies

Are without end and every Morning New!

In You I am believing and trusting

To meet us in this hour

Oh Father, will You come

In Thy fullness and in Thy power?

Oh Father, I surrender it all to You

And my all on the altar lay.

Thank you Father for Your Grace

That is sufficient for every single day.

Father, I thank you that You are

The one and Only Jehovah Jireh

The One who is the Great I Am

And the Lord our Provider.

Oh Father, I praise Your Holy Name

Thank you for meeting us in our need.

To You belongs All Glory and Praise

You are a Good, Good Father indeed!

Oh Father, we proclaim Your Goodness

Your Faithfulness is without end

Oh Father, we praise Your Name

That we can always on You depend!

The Red Sea

Freedom, Healing, Journey, Peace, Protection, redemption, restoration

I wonder what it was like that day

As the children of Israel stood on the banks

Of the Red Sea, a seemingly impossible

Obstacle before their very eyes.

The army of Pharaoh overtaking them.

Did the fear from within arise?

In their distress, they cried out to the Lord

The Lord began to speak in a mighty way

“Do not be afraid, stand still and see

The salvation of the Lord above”

For what He will do today for you

Will demonstrate His greatness and love.

“The Lord will fight for you

You only need to be still”

Oh the Word of the Lord spoke clearly

They watched Moses stretch out his hand

Then as the waters begin to part ways

And as the sea became dry land.

The waters now became a wall

To the right hand and the left

They walked across on dry land

Gathering on the other side

They watched their enemy follow

But then it was evident, the Lord was on their side.

Where the waters had been divided

For them to cross the Red Sea

The Lord now caused the waters to return

The way He had appointed and designed

That transpired when there was obedience

And they themselves with the Lord aligned.

We all have a Red Sea on our journey

The obstacle staring us in the face

The enemy threatening us from behind

To find comfort, we want to run and hide

But would you turn your eyes upward

And in your Father wholly confide?

So in your fear and trembling

Cry out to your Father in Heaven

He will hear you in your distress

He will fight for you, but being still you must

He will give you peace beyond understanding

But in Him you must place ALL your Trust.

“Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.” Exodus‬ ‭14:28-31‬ ‭

“He is Compassionate”

Freedom, Healing, Journey, Peace, Protection, redemption, Rest

We are a society that craves comfort, we hate pain and any sort of discomfort, we avoid it at all costs. But there are time when you come face to face with what is reality, the truth, and the pain that grips your heart is real, now what choice do you make?

In such moments the flesh longs to find comfort despite the the pain and reality of what is on the horizon. Traipsing around it won’t help, and pretending it’s not there doesn’t make it go away. The spirit groans, the heart aches, and the flesh rebels. It’s a face to face, head on battle with the darkest moments of life, reliving what is most painful, yet it’s necessary to do so, so there can be emotional healing.

The Father speaks, “ I will not forsake you” and clinging to that promise one dares to take His hand and slowly move ahead, step by step toward the place they have avoided for many years, the pain being more real then they could ever remember before. The reality of losing something precious is heart wrenching and it seems the pieces could never ever be put back together.

Step by step they continue to walk, now strength is gone and the child burys his face in His shoulder and clings desperately to the Loving One beside her, knowing that if they let go, it’s over for this time. The walk is one of entering a tunnel of darkness without end and they enter slowly, because the Father, carrying them now, understands the pain they are experiencing and He compassionately holds him close.

The child realizes that now He has ceased walking and it can only mean that they have arrived at the place. So still clinging to Him, the Solid Rock, the Refuge and Strength of their life, he knows that to find healing emotionally, they must allow themselves to go back and relive the moments, no matter how painful it is. The memories flood over him like a crashing wave but the child knows the One who holding him is an anchor that is safe and secure. The pieces of the heart and emotions, shattered and torn many years before are being knit together as the child allows himself to go to “that painful place”

Lifting his head and turning for just a brief glance once more, as one would to catch a final glimpse of a grave about to be covered, a grave of painful memories that will never be opened again because Jehovah Rapha heals completely.

Now burying his face into the shoulder/chest of Him who carries him, Jehovah Rapha carries the child weak, worn and exhausted of All strength from battle, a battle that was Victorious because the Father was a part of it. They exit the way they had entered and though the child is spent of all strength, he forces his head to lift and he notices the path once a place of destruction is now illuminated with light.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” ~Psalms‬ ‭119:105‬

The child knows the words, “I will not forsake you” were spoken by no one other then the very Father himself, Jehovah Rapha has healed.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” ~Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:6‬ ‭

Friends, pain is heartbreaking but healing brings peace and rest. The Father is compassionate and He will ALWAYS be with you as you walk the journey, keep your eyes on Him and He will carry you.

“He is Compassionate”

Losing Sight of the Shore

Freedom, Healing, Journey, Protection, Rest, restoration, Safety

It is no secret that we live in a land of abundance and I am so thankful for the blessing of having plenty, however; I am starting to understand that because of the abundance that we have we tend to live safe, comfortable lives, more secure in our cushioned little box than we are in Christ.

Let me share a story with you that happened to me personally while I was in Kenya just earlier this year, it truly was a life changing moment for me.

So several things you should know, is that I am generally terrified of water. Reason number 1 being for the fact that said person cannot swim, therefore putting a fear within me and yes, scripture does say:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” II Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬

Our team had an incredible time on the short safari we did on our African trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it until I heard the dreaded word “kayak” because I knew that meant somewhere I was going to have to directly face fear and that jus terrified me. I attempted to comfort myself with the fact that I would stay at the lodge and nap(because I was really exhausted) while they went on the kayak trip. That plan didn’t work out well at all, as we are on the game drive and suddenly we stop beside the river and then I knew that my fears were going to have to be faced head on.

So I was paired with one of our incredible team and I, trembling from head to toe got into that kayak, so terrified and just sure I was going to drown somehow. And honestly, I am shocked I didn’t tip the kayak because the spirit of fear was so heavy.

We begin the trek across the waters, and thankfully it was quite calm but I clung to that kayak like we were out on the deep sea on choppy waters.

In my tense and fearful state of being I began to pray, crying out to God for peace and help. And instantly the Father brought to my mind the story of Jesus walking on the water and how He bid Peter to come to Him and as long as Peter’s eyes were fixed upon Jesus he was fine, but the minute he gave into the carnal and noticed the boisterous waters, he began to sink. Let me refresh your memory with the passage of scripture:

” Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” -Matthew‬ ‭14:25-33‬ ‭

Out on that water in that kayak that I so hated earlier I had to repent and confess that fear, and that I had looked at the carnal instead of focusing on the Father. It was a life changing moment for me, to lose sight of the shore and to rest in the Father. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip back to land when we returned, in fact I didn’t want it to end.

Oswald Chambers says it so well:

If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea”It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God”

So my friends, wherever you find yourself in this moment. May you rest in the fact that losing sight of the shore is preparing you for greater purpose all for His Glory🙌🏽

When God says, “Wait”

Contentment;, Healing, Journey, Protection, redemption, Rest, Safety

A winding path lies before you, and as far as the eye can see the prettiest of blooming flowers line it, foretelling of the walk ahead to be both scenic and beautiful, but in your heart you also know that in any journey of life one is bound to have some rainy seasons and also some mountains to climb, so You gather the essentials and make preparation for the journey ahead. You are literally minutes away from stepping foot upon that path when you hear a gentle voice whisper in the most loving tone, “My child, wait!”

You freeze in your tracks slightly shaken by the very words you just heard. In your spirit you begin to understand that it was the Father’s voice you heard, yet you also wonder what could this all possibly mean?

The door leading to the path that lay before you had seemingly swung shut a lengthy time ago. The desire within you hadn’t perished, the vision hadn’t left, although as time passed it seemed the desire was beginning to be forgotten and the vision grew a wee bit dimmer, nonetheless it was still alive within. The verse in the 37th Psalm has became an anthem to you when you had first seen the vision and believed it was from the Father

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” ~‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:4‬ ‭

You prayed, seeking the Father’s face, desiring His heart to be manifested to you in all of this and now the door had cracked open and with a heart filled with Faith you were ready to step upon the threshold believing this was where you were to walk for the next season of your life.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.” ~Psalms 37:23

‭‭

You find yourself standing in front of the door now, one foot in mid stride as you attempt to catch your balance and focus on what the Father is speaking in this moment and as He speaks You fall upon your face, crying out to God. What is now being required of you is surrender and sacrifice in measures you hadn’t thought possible.

My friend, may I draw your attention to a passage in scripture where a man of Faith, namely Abraham received the promise that he was to have a son even in his older age, and also the promise that he was to be a father of many nations. We know the story well, but there is a particular passage in Genesis 22 that speaks of a time of testing and surrender.

“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:1-3‬

One of the phrases I want to zone in on are “God tested Abraham”. We know that Abraham was full of faith and when God called him, he didn’t hesitate to do the bidding of His Father, to offer up his one and only son.

“He rose early in the morning” and went to the place where God had told him. He didn’t hesitate even for a day, he went immediately even though it was going to require a deep level of surrender and trust. We also know that the Father did provide in abundant measures that day and still today He pours out His spirit upon us.

My friends, I don’t alway understand why the Father closes doors, but this I do know. It’s always because He has something better in store for us. Remember He sees the whole picture and we don’t. So to sum all of the above in three words.

  1. Surrender
  2. Trust
  3. Obey

May you be encouraged that while you wait, you have the opportunity to worship and grow more intimately in the relationship with your Heavenly King❤️

Despite the Storm

Healing, Journey, Peace, Protect, Protection, Rest, Safety

The western sky gives up it’s last shades of summer evening light as twilight steals across the land covering the earth with darkness. A sliver of a moon appears for a short time, then disappears as storm clouds began to form in the northern sky.

Thunder begins to rumble and lightening streaks illuminate the night sky. In place of the gentle breeze that was barely rustling the leaves, there is now a strong wind blowing dust and trash across the land.

Within minutes, the thunder intensifies, the lightening streaks become more frequent and the wind continues to rise and within seconds the Storm is upon us in all its fury, raindrops pelting against the windows, and the wind causing the house to shake ever so slightly.

As I stand by the window and watch the above scene unfold, I know that if I were to dare venture outside, I would be soaked within moments of being in the elements of this storm. Suddenly, something catches my eye in the branches of the tree right next to the window. Somehow amidst the branches that are being blown to and fro violently, in the storms fury, I catch a glimpse of a bird’s nest with something in it.

Within moments the rain and wind slowed ever so slightly and I was able to see a mama bird peacefully sitting on her nest, faithfully keeping her young ones safe, no fear of the Storm.

So my friends, what could this mean for us individually? My mind is drawn to Psalm 91 and how the writer of that particular psalm may have possibly been facing tremendous storms that could have taken his life, yet he knew that in abiding in the presence of Jesus, there is safety, no matter the winds and rain.

“He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler” -Psalms 91:4

So as that mama bird upon her nest, peacefully waiting out the Storm, her nest obviously was well made and fastened properly to that branch. What is our foundation? Is it in the Father, knowing that no matter what the Storm, you are safe in His presence?

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You”
-Isaiah 26:3

Africa-Part 3

Adventure, Calling, Journey, Protection, Rest, Safety

In Kenya, April is one of the months of the rainy season there, not to mention it rained almost daily while we were there. The mud was a constant challenge, but it added plenty of adventure to our African experience.

That Wednesday morning, we awoke to the sound of rain, so we waited until mid forenoon to head out, and still it was raining, so we had our first supermarket experience and each member of the team got a pair of boots, because there was mud everywhere.

Eventually we were on the road, heading back to the Masai village where we were to have a church service. It truly was a trip, we will never forget. Nine people packed into a vehicle (in Kenya there’s always room for one more), and once we hit the dirt roads the adventure began as we slid all over the muddy road, with 3 to 4 foot gullies on either side of the road.

We got stuck a number of times, I eventually lost track of how many times we got out and walked, the sticky mud slowing our walking progress. We were determined to not give up and about 4 hours after we first began the journey we reached our destination; tired, sweaty and covered in mud. We were served coffee and refreshments, then later a meal, by our dear African sister Ann, who served us so well. ❤

Our destination was a church in this particular Masai village and driving up to it, I didn’t see exactly what I expected but in that building was a service unlike I have ever experienced in my life. The building itself could not have been more then 14-16 feet wide and maybe 32 feet long, but it held over 250 adults plus all the darling children.

In this building is where I got my first experience of African worship, it was so amazing, God did incredible things there❤ Some of the girls on the team got to dress up as the Masai ladies do, plus we all got Masai jewelry, which is absolutely beautiful.

We had the opportunity to pass ou candy and some small gifts to the children, seeing their faces as each one was presented with something was incredible to see.

We then headed back to our hotel for the evening, this time we didn’t get stuck, although there was still so much mud everywhere. I am convinced the enemy was desperately trying to deter us from going. Praise God🙌 he was defeated and God did incredible things in each of our hearts and lives.

That evening as the team debriefed over the delightful evening meal they prepared for us, we all agreed our faith was strengthened, because of the experiences we had through the mud and mire on the road that day.

Below is a video that one of our incredibly talented team members did, and if you want a great visual of what all took place, please watch it 😊

https://youtu.be/d6ZgOCyIMzY

The Hurt and The Healer

Freedom, Healing, Peace, Protection, Rest, Safety

It was early morning, the stars were still shining, the moon so full and bright, and the first light of dawn was just coloring the eastern horizon. All was peaceful and quiet, but that was about to be shattered!

Inside The house, a young lady was fast asleep, but suddenly she awoke with a start! Almost Breathless by the pain and the intense ache she felt within her heart, a pain unlike she had ever felt before! Whatever was this and what could possibly be happening to her? As she lay there, quite uncertain what could be happening, the tears began to stream down her young face.

The pain was so real and so intense! Her chest felt like it had a gaping, raw wound that was steadily growing larger as her heart was ripped from her body, shredded into millions of pieces and then demolished completely with the biggest and heaviest piece of equipment in the world.

The tears continued and so did the questions. What was happening? Why this intense ache and pain deep within? How could she possibly go on? What about the shattered pieces of her heart that were hardly recognizable as the life-giving organ it was intended to be? What good could come from any of this?

Through the tears and pain she heard the Father speaking to her, in the most gentle and loving voice; “Daughter, will you allow Me to Heal? Will you trust me with the shattered pieces? Will you accept my Love?”

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
~Psalms 34:18

Totally spent of all energy and battle weary, she spoke a barely audible, “Yes” and that very instant she felt the presence of the FATHER! It was so real and she felt the Father’s LOVE embracing her. In that embrace, she felt Loved, Secure and at rest. A rest so beautiful, so full of peace, and so refreshing. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt strong arms ever so gently rocking her.

Brothers and sisters, we all have had things happen to us that cause hurts, pain, and scars. I know it sounds scary to walk through those painful things, in fact some of them are so painful that we have locked them into this little room in our heart and have vowed to never let anyone see it.

May I encourage you, there is a Healer that can heal every painful wound that we have There is a great Physician that can make ALL things new, even the most shattered and broken parts within us!

Will you allow Him to have the key to that room within your heart that has been locked for so long? Will you allow Him to hold you as you walk through that pain and find freedom?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord , thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~Jeremiah 29:11

The Father loves you❤

“I am not a theologian or a scholar, but I am very aware of the fact that pain is necessary to all of us. In my own life, I think I can honestly say that out of the deepest pain has come the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God” ~Elliott