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“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion.”   Psalm 14:7

The trials of life are God’s Winds.  At times, they blow so hard against us all we can do is ride the storm.

Remember, God is working, always working, to form us, conform us and transform us into the image of His Son.  God invites us to participate in this process by means of an interactive relationship.

He does this within the chambers of our hearts.  There is no quick fix nor does it occur overnight, but it is crucial for us to respect the slow work of God upon our soul.

Slowly, ever so slowly, over days and weeks and months and years, the soul is being carefully formed and conformed and transformed.  Throughout this holy work we are learning patience, stillness, perseverance, “time-fullness”.

His Winds come to awaken the areas within one’s heart and soul that were tragically broken during the fall in the garden.

Our separation began long ago with Adam and Eve and continues until The Father comes to save us from not only the consequences of sin, but the domination of sin.

Whatever He is teaching us with His Wind of trials, He will give us the power to overcome.

The Author of Celebration of Disciple by John J. Foster said, “Genuine worship has only one Leader, Jesus Christ.”

Today God is calling us to worship Him, not so much through songs, but with our hearts. He wants the hearts of his people back!

We are seeing this sort of worship across the world on social media.  God’s people are gathering to worship Him together in corporate power.

People are being set free from false teaching and repenting of their worldly sin.  There is a 40 day fast going until the day of Pentecost and here is a link if you are curious and want to join in its power. Video link

This wave reminds me of the first spirit filled church in Acts 2:2, 4:31. God met His Church by shaking the building with His Power.

Some even dropped dead and others were raised from the dead by the word of The LORD.  The people knew that God was in the midst.  (Acts 5:1-11)

These early believers were very much aware that the veil has been ripped in two and like Moses and Aaron they entered into the Holy of Holies knowing they did not need a priest.

Their confidence ushered in the Glory of God.  They entered His Glory and presence expecting Jesus to be present.  They were taught and experienced the living power of God by His Spirit.

How do we cultivate this holy expectancy today?

It begins in us… within our hearts by being filled with an inward adoration of God.  God does this by drawing us and then filling us with His Spirit.

Afterwards, we eat, play, work and sleep while listening for our teacher to speak to our hearts.  We must feed this inner hunger of our soul within His Presence or what are will our soul be filled with?

Let it be God!

If you haven’t heard about Brother Lawrence, He knew this reality because he experienced the presence of God in his kitchen each day.

He knew God would meet him and he wrote,

“I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the Presence of God.”

Brother Lawrence

He tasted the glory of God in his daily life and would forever be changed.  He lived satisfied because he practiced the presence of God no matter his circumstances.

To experience the glory of God is to enter true contentment during our wind storms while living on earth.  His Presence calms our inner strife or constant chattering of thoughts and emotions that bring dryness to our souls.

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones,”   Proverbs 16:24

If we practice, we can learn to turn a deaf ear to these lulling thoughts and emotions by trusting The LORD is in our midst.  I like to imagine Jesus sitting in my kitchen while I speak to him about the goings-on within my heart!

I want to encourage you to believe all your thoughts can be conversations with Christ.  When we sing or speak Praise to Him, He comes to touch our conscience mind by embracing us with His Arms of Love.

Listen to my podcasts for more encouragements.

“Trust in The LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”   Proverbs 3:5-6

Remembering we are told in His Word, He will never leave us, but waits and watches during for us during our storms.

After all, it is He who sends the winds in the first place. In time, by His Mercy and Grace He will lift us up when we fall.

“He watches over His nest like an eagle and hovers over His young; He spreads His wings, catches him, and lifts him up on His pinions.”   Deuteronomy 32:11

The Apostle Paul, learned to live under the shadow of The Almighty.  He walked around with a thorn in his side. We read

“Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.”   2 Corinthians 12:7

Paul pleads with God three times to remove it and The LORD’s response was,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:8

Look how Paul turns to praise for The Father during his suffering:

“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort.  He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble.  We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives.”   2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Paul shares his testimony five times in three verses without the faintest hint of pride. He humbly states,

“Here is what I have found in my life. Here is what I have proved in my journey, and what has been true for me can be true for you as well.”

Paul is saying, contentment is grace learned over-time!

The definition of being content means we must actually delight in our weaknesses, difficulties and hardships.

So how do we accomplish this in the face of our trials and wind storms?  How can we learn to be truly content when these heavy winds almost blow us off our feet?

God has given us the ability to choose where we focus our attention.  It helps to take every negative or defeated thought captive!

Here are a few pointers I have developed for combating spiritual bankruptcy:

First, learn to resist the world’s propaganda.  As well as any social media that tends to express bitterness by turning our hearts and minds away from God.  It’s about fear!

• Build your faith to know that God supplies everything we need.
• Be content. Enter His presence no matter what you are doing.
• Trust Him. God is on His Throne and in control of everything,.

“Trust in The LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”   Proverbs 3:5-6

Disciplining ourselves with prayer, study, service, worship, guidance, and celebration teaches us life-giving ways of growth and affirmation.

Together these movements are aimed at freeing us from soul-crushing patterns of death and creating joy-filled patterns within our lives.

The Father’s peace and contentment multiplies through our devotion and passion towards Him.  When I start my day without seeking Him first, the enemy comes every time!

I make sure to begin my day by praying before I step out of bed.  Then, there is no forgetting to pray for me!

Let’s practice to seek Him in all things . . .

This requires a mixture of humility, courage and faith beyond our own understanding because we do not know all the circumstances, but God does.  Remember, God knows and sees everything!

We must consciously dim our thoughts and feelings and look towards God.  His Spirit comes and fills us and teaches us to trust Our Savior and provides the strength to follow Him no matter where He takes us!

The song of our contentment comes by reconciling our will and soul to follow His Son, Jesus.

One example that helped me to reconcile my will was fasting.  When we fast, we are disciplining our desires and giving our spirit strength to rise from deep within us.

“The LORD is in His Holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him.”   Habakkuk 2:20

Fasting is powerful because it takes us beyond our mere abilities and understanding by dimming our conscious mind of our feelings and thoughts leading us to God’s ways.

If you think about our spirit being placed inside our body when we were in our mother’s womb, we can understand that the spirit must overcome the body to speak to our hearts [mind and will].

This is the foundation of one’s reconciliation to live in harmony with God.

We are told by James, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

Christ promised that we would have trouble and hardship in this world, but we shouldn’t be afraid due to His victory over all things. (John 16:33)

From the Old Testament through the New, God is never absent in the chaos and violence during the battles where His People remained faithful to His Ways.

The important question is not how religious you are, but how devoted are you to God?

When our souls stop talking, our will to harmonize with God without any reservation becomes easy.  We can be just like Paul and learn to detach ourselves from our concerns [will] and have the ability to humbly enter the presence of The Father.

And just like that . . .  as promised to us in His Word, His winds calm and we enter His River of flowing contentment and a place of healthy mind, body and soul!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will be satisfied.”   Matthew 5:6

As we learn to travel through our storms seeking our Heavenly Father, we are able to abandon our selfish ambitions and enter His Plan for our lives.

We become his people who love God more than loving ourselves.

We hear His Voice as it causes the heavens and the earth to move with very little difficulty.

His Power is so mighty; what The Father Wills shall be accomplished.

Our crashing winds are no longer in question…..  because we have complete confidence that The Father is working in our lives. We learn to ride on His Wings through praise by clinging to His Word for comfort in verses like this one.

“Trust in The LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”   Proverbs 3:5-6

When we experience God’s perfect love being poured-out over us, never again shall we go hungry or thirsty.

For our song of harmony meets His Compatible View of peaceful happiness and contentment for healthy living.

Perhaps the most important things for us to see clearly are who God is and who we really are — sons and daughters of the King with a “divine nature and eternal destiny.”

If you have questions, ask God to reveal these truths to you, along with how He feels about you.  The more you understand your true identity and purpose, soul deep, the more it will influence everything in your life.

As His Presence becomes a pattern of our lives, we will find ourselves becoming “true followers of Jesus Christ.

Let’s begin today to practice entering the presence of The LORD. Holy Spirit, the greatest teacher taught me, but I recently found “Celebration of Discipline, the path to spiritual growth” by Richard J. Foster to be a huge encouragement.

I have included Richard’s steps below.

Are you willing to commit to the next 7 days?

Don’t miss out on the blessing baskets along your journey!  Here is a huge blessing, but you will have to give up some things to do it.

For me it was television time with my family as I worked during the day and sought The LORD at night after dinner.

Activation Plan:

Day One:  For thirty minutes, lock your door, turn off all technology . . . your smartphone does have an off button. Make a good strong cup of coffee or tea.  Find a good place to sit.  Begin by speaking aloud these words of the Psalmist: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (139:23–24). Then, be still. No writing. No talking. Nothing. The objective here is to clear away all “distractions” within your mind and soul.

Day Two: Again, for thirty minutes, become free of all technology.  Take a walk, allowing your footsteps to fall into the rhythm of your whispering of the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Day Three: Again, all technology is off for thirty minutes. A good cup of coffee or tea and a comfortable chair are in order. Begin with the simple prayer I composed for coffee time: “O Spirit of God, blow across my little life and let me drink in your great Life. Amen.”  Next, ever so slowly, pray the words of The LORD’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–13). With each phrase of the prayer add your own thoughts or concerns a little like you are decorating a cake or wrapping a gift with your own creativity. See if your extended prayerful meditation will bring you to the end of The LORD’s Prayer at about the thirty-minute mark.

Days Four, Five, and Six: Repeat the same rhythm of days one, two, and three.

Day Seven: Use your technology to your heart’s content.

Follow this three-part rhythm for several months, maybe a year.  After some practice, you may want to extend your time to one hour rather than thirty minutes.

Then, when you feel you are ready, you can take the next step: a twenty-four-hour retreat with no technology whatever.  No radio. No smartphone. No laptop. No iPad. No MP3 player.  You get the idea.

Take a print Bible for reading and a pen and pad for writing — no more than that.

See what happens.  Who knows, you just may be enabled to “listen to God’s speech in his wondrous, terrible, gentle, loving, all-embracing silence.”

You may find this easier than expected once you are able to quiet your soul. I will be praying for each of you! I will be lifting you up in my daily devotion so each of you may enter the presence of The LORD as Brother Lawrence did so many years ago.

Scriptures

A few scriptures to mediate on while resting in the presence of The LORD:

 

Shalom
~ Angela Reese

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Angela is the owner of “Fruits of His Vine” website, to encourage and equip those still in wandering, or in captivity, to find our Savior in His Holy Tabernacle.

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