“For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” But you would not…” Isaiah 30:15 NKJV.

“I know a place where the music is fine and the lights are turned down low. I know a place where we can go…” [ “Downtown” a song from the 60’s by Petula Clark] came to mind.

Then the Lord said:

“There is a wonderful place of renown, where I meet with My beloveds if they are willing to go. It is a quiet place where we can commune together and talk and just listen to the sound of the birds and leaves on the trees rustling. Where we can smell flowers, and grass and there is a warmth of fellowship there that cannot be found in other places. Serenity is a sweet place of communion. Sometimes the music needs to stop, and the world be blotted out to hear more clearly… so that all you hear is the sound of nature and the senses are fine tuned to hear other things . If you surround yourself with noise and talk all the time, how can you hear My voice?

I am found in the still small voice. And it is in this place of peacefulness and thoughtfulness that I can be found. A place of quietness and rest! There is a rest for My beloveds that so many know nothing about. They think they have to strive and perform, and even in the striving, they at least are trying to commune. But they don’t know how easy I’ve made it – that it’s in quietness and in REST that you can be restored. It is the opposite place of the world’s striving and busyness! So it is also a place of warfare!

It seems that some would think, what a farce that is to think you don’t have to DO something in warfare. “You just can’t lay down or the enemy will walk all over you!” But that is not the whole TRUTH My friends. REST is a powerful weapon in the striving, quick fix world of this age! There is a time for fighting, and there is a time for letting ME do the fighting, and allowing you to REST IN ME! It seems incomprehensible to many. But that is the Secret Garden. It is a place of REFRESHING and RENEWAL! So don’t think that constantly praying, and constantly striving is the only way to push through. When a woman gives birth, it is not by pushing her arms and legs. It is by the muscles of the womb contracting that she gives birth. If she strives it actually fights against the birthing process. Then the blood goes to the limbs instead of to the muscles of the womb where it is needed! The mother has to cooperate with allowing the womb to do it’s work, which is a built in natural mechanism regulated by hormones and nerves, not by her striving, except when the pushing phase comes. So NOW is a time for resting in ME. And when it is time to PUSH, then I will catapult you into action!

Come to My garden and allow Me to touch you – to heal and deliver you from all the ravages of the enemy. Let me destroy all the distractions. Give your heart FULLY to My purposes, and all the rest of your efforts will be effort-LESS. I will help accomplish things in fullness of FAITH, if you will just TRUST ME more fully, and trust your EFFORTS less. Self sufficiency is NOT faith! I know it fights the ways of the world to do this. But how can you grow in FAITH if you can do it yourself? Think of that for a moment – Selah!

This is a secret that all the mystics of old had to learn. And when they learned it, of course came great opposition, for it offends the natural mind. Surely one has to meet the Lord’s effort half-way is one common idea! But it is MAN’S idea, not MY idea! It is lie. TRUST in the LORD with ALL of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding! I will fight FOR you, IF you will LET ME! But so many of you strive. Remember what happened at Jericho… All they had to do was march around the city once a day for seven days. Remember what happened with Gideon and his men? Thousands were arrayed against them. They had only 300 men. They did not use swords even, but just blew TRUMPETS, and dropped the pitchers that held torches!

That pitcher represented the flesh, allowed to drop to the ground and be broken. The torches represented the FIRE of the Holy Spirit. All they had to do is blow the SHOFARS – and deliverance CAME, and the enemy turned on themselves and killed each other…CONFUSION went through the camp of the enemy.

And so it will be in these times for those who will TRUST IN MY WAYS. Come to My Garden and let ME share with you MY STRATEGY for what I want you to do. Come and let me share with you My secrets – My love – My JOY – My kindness – My patience – MY self control!

STOP TRYING so hard, and just COME to ME.

“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Matthew 11:30 NKJV.

“Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind” Ecclesiastes 4:6 NKJV.

“The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. 18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, 19 Though hail comes down on the forest, and the city is brought low in humiliation” Isaiah 32:17-19 NKJV.

God bless you,
Priscilla

by: PRISCILLA VAN SUTPHIN of Upstream Ministries, California www.upstreamca.org www.blogtalkradio.com/Upstream Email: goinupstream @hotmail.com Donate to Upstream: via secure paypal by sending as gift to goininupstream @hotmail.com Or send to Upstream, PMB 545, 14311 Newport Blvd, Suite G, Tustin, CA 92780, USA.