I am thinking about what that means tonight. What comes to mind is that there is absolutely no movement or effort on my part, I am in a place of complete trust and rest. Oh, the Father and our precious Savior know how much it’s needed. And I am grateful.
I am standing in absolute stillness, silent before the one I love, waiting as long as it takes for him to rescue me. Only God is my Savior, and he will not fail me. For he alone is my safe place. His wraparound presence always protects me as my champion defender. There’s no risk of failure with God! So why would I let worry paralyze me, even when troubles multiply around me? God’s glory is all around me! His wraparound presence is all I need, for the Lord is my Savior, my hero, and my life-giving strength. Trust only in God every moment! Tell him all your troubles and pour out your heart-longings to him. Believe me when I tell you—he will help you! Pause in his presence. Psalms 62:5-8 TPT
I was reading Ephesians 3 in The Passion today, and the words in the title of this blog resonated within me. As believers, it’s our privilege, honor, and our responsibility to live by faith. The Bible says more than once that “The just shall live by faith.”
You’ve probably heard that before, me too. But I had not seen so clearly before that living by faith, trusting Him, actually brings us to the place where the resting place of His love becomes the very source and root of our lives. Just as hope is an achor to our souls, our lives become rooted in rest, the resting place of His love.
Once again, I am learning more about rest, His rest, and the deep and wide impact of choosing to remain in rest in Him. And that everything that God asks us to do has a benefit. He is such a good, good Father.
Oh dear ones, how He loves you and me. The enemy of our souls would have us live distracted, anxious lives. Let us instead turn our faces to Heaven, and to Him, and believe and receive these words of Jesus:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Matthew 11:28 AMP
So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth.
And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.
Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions.
How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!
Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.
The following is an excerpt from the book titled, “His Voice in My Heart.” by Lori O’Neil. It is shared with the permission of the author and publisher. It is book 1 in a series of three, a jouuney that speaks from the Heart of God, messages to heal, confirm and deepen our relationships with Him.
Is There Room for Me?
My birth is not a season, it is the beginning of the end — which is the beginning.
All must die for the body is not eternal. The spirit would live forever were it not for sin. Sin brought death to the spirit, while the body lived on — for the spirit to live for eternity it must be born anew, made new.
“– Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly I say unto you, unless one is born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
RENEW
I came as a child that you might see, I came as a babe that you might believe…
That you could be made new — totally freed, from a life of sin and death. A life without Me — yearns to be free,
Invite Me to your home this night. Ask me in — I’ll bring the light. Then you’ll see that all you need is the gift that was given — the One True Light. (John 1:4, 9) That light is Me.
There was no room at the Inn, will you ask Me in?
“And the angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he wil reign over the house of Jacob, forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end'” Luke 1:30-33
“And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid hin in a manger, for there was no room in the inn.” Luke 2:7
Read also: John 1:12-14 and Romans 6:23. — “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God… “ “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…”
His Voice in My Heart, His Voice in My Heart, the Journey and His Voice in My Heart, to Freedom! can be purchased from Nation Of Women Publishing.
You can larn more about Lori, her books, and her vision to reach the lost and hurting, as well as opportunities to participate on Wordscroll.org.
On a personal note, I met Lori on a trip to Israel in May/June of 2019. It truly has been a grace connection. The Lord enabled me to connect her to Nation of Women Publishing, which brings me joy. However our connection goes much deeper as she has been there for me, encouraging me in the Lord, praying for me and my husband as we walked through the last three years. Its been a faith walk and I am SO very grateful for her love, late night texts and all. She truly “put skin on” Jesus for me. I treasure and hold close the word that God gave her for me — “Stand on your faith, I have heard your prayer. This will not happen quickly, but it will happen. And I believe!
Oh how HE loves you and me. Remember always, He is Immanuel – God with US — God with YOU.
We see this word used a lot this time of year, particularly in Christmas movies. While I thoroughly enjoy a good Christmas story, they are not real or a basis for belief.
In reality, BELIEVE is a word to be treasured and meditated upon. What we choose to believe goes to the very core of who we are and it impacts our lives.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, what He says, what His Word says, and His promises are the anchor of my soul. In good times, in stormy/hard times and every other time, I choose to stay anchored, believing that He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Storms may come, but He is a good Father, perfect, never changing, so this is what I BELIEVE:
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too. John 14:6 TPT
…I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. John 11:25 TPT
My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me. I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands. John 10:27-28 TPT
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow! I am the Good Shepherd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep. John 10:10-11 TPT
“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous! John 14:27 TPT
For the Father tenderly loves you, because you love me and believe that I’ve come from God. John 16:27 TPT
We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold,
Hebrews 6:19 TPT
So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises! Hebrews 10:23 TPT
On Sunday, Pastor George Pearsons read Psalm 100 and a little later in the service, Pastor Terri encouraged us to close our eyes and focus on just one thing and then to express thankfulness to God for it. So we took a few minutes and did just that.
You know what, that act of choosing to be thankful and give thanks for that one thing was very good. But in a really positive way, it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t stop there. More and more blessings, both large and small, came to mind, leading to me being more thankful.
It’s been really good for me all week. Life isn’t perfect. Relationships are challenging, things don’t always go the way I want, and work can be stressful this time of year… But then I remember Sunday and choose to give thanks. By doing that, both my attitude and outlook get adjusted. I feel His grace, peace, and presence, and I am grateful.
Based on this Psalm, here are some things to meditate on or do:
Sing joyfully to the Lord
Recognize the He is God, He made us, and we are His
Know that we (you) are a sheep of His pasture — He is The Good Shepherd (Psalm 23), and He cares for you
Enter His presence with a song
Be thankful and give Him praise
Think about His goodness and mercy (at work in our lives and the lives of those we love)
Consider His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to all generations
Serve the Lord with gladness and delight; Come before His presence with joyful singing. Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [andwe are His]. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting, His faithfulness [endures] to all generations. Psalms 100:2-5 AMP
Happy Thanksgiving, dear ones. Oh, how He loves you and me!
I love the Word of God and so by faith I am choosing to live with that in mind. There are so many reasons to do this, here are a few:
The rarest treasures of life are found in his truth. That’s why God’s Word is prized like others prize the finest gold. Sweeter also than honey are his living words— sweet words dripping from the honeycomb! Psalms 19:10 TPT
For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to his promises, his word can be trusted, and everything he does is reliable and right. Psalms 33:4 TPT
All God accomplishes is flawless, faithful, and fair, and his every word proves trustworthy and true. Psalms 111:7 TPT
Fill your thoughts with my words until they penetrate deep into your spirit. Then, as you unwrap my words, they will impart true life and radiant health into the very core of your being. Proverbs 4:21-22 TPT
It’s easy to be distracted with all that’s going on in the world, but I want to be able to say like King David did in Psalm 119:11 (TPT), “I consider your Word to be my greatest treasure. ”
Let’s pray: Dear Father God, I thank you for the precious treasure of your words. Thank you for using them to reveal who you are, your nature, your character, your faithfulness, your mercy, kindness and unfailing love. Thank you for giving me Jesus The living Word as my Savior (John 1 & 3), your Holy Spirit as my teacher (John 10) and your written Word, which declares your will. I choose to treasure your Words. I ask you to continue to teach me, to open my spiritual eyes to know and understand more of you. I love you Father, I trust you and I choose to rest in your love and care for me. In the name of Jesus, Amen!
Being still doesn’t come naturally to me. Most of the time my hands are doing something (like knitting socks) even when I do have time to sit. And I can’t seem to think about “nothing” – ever. It amazes me to think that’s even possible, but my husband says it is. 🙂
Yes, my life is busy. I work full time from home and have been caring for my husband and all of the matters of our household (gratefully with help from family) since November of 2019. But I can’t let “busy” rule my life. It’s not sustainable, it’s not as God designed me to be. As I once heard Mark Hankins say, “we are human beings, not human doings.”
So at times I choose to be still, to pause, to be quiet, rest, and listen. This afternoon I am doing just that. Through my bedroom window. I am enjoying watching the leaves on my maple tree gently sway in the breeze, listening to little birds chirping. I am enjoying the quiet and counting my blessings. I am resting in His care and listening with the intention of being more like Mary than Martha.
I share these scriptures that inspire me in hopes they will minister to you too. Oh how He loves you and me!
Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. Matthew 11:28
Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth. Psalms 46:10 TPT
But even if we are faithless, he will still be full of faith, for he never wavers in his faithfulness to us! 2 Timothy 2:13 TPT
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually). Numbers 6:24-26 AMPC
I woke up early today and heard Holy Spirit say get up and let me talk to you. I want to share it with you because Oh how He loves us! And His Word applies to all who make Jesus Savior and Lord.
When people work, they earn wages. It can’t be considered a free gift, because they earned it. But no one earns God’s righteousness. It can only be transferred when we no longer rely on our own works, but believe in the one who powerfully declares the ungodly to be righteous in his eyes. It is faith that transfers God’s righteousness into your account! Romans 4:4-5 TPT
Knowing that God has accounted you as righteous read this Psalm in faith and make sure to personalize it. Declare this Word out loud over yourself and your generations — your family, children, grandchildren and future generations.
Shout in celebration of praise to the Lord! Everyone who loves the Lord and delights in him will cherish his words and be blessed beyond expectation. Their descendants will be prosperous and influential. Every generation of the righteous will experience his favor. Great blessing and wealth fills the house of the wise, for their integrity endures forever. Even if darkness overtakes them, sunrise-brilliance will come bursting through because they are gracious to others, so tender and true. Life is good for the one who is generous and charitable, conducting affairs with honesty and truth. Their circumstances will never shake them and others will never forget their example. They will not live in fear or dread of what may come, for their hearts are firm, ever secure in their faith. Steady and strong, they will not be afraid, but will calmly face their every foe until they all go down in defeat. Never stingy and always generous to those in need, they lived lives of influence and honor that will never be forgotten, for they were full of good deeds. But the wicked take one look at a life lived like this and they grit their teeth in anger, not understanding their bliss. The wicked slink away speechless in the darkness that falls, where hope dies and all their dreams fade away to nothing, nothing at all! Psalms 112:1-10 TPT
There is a story of King David in 1 Samuel 30 that has come to my mind several times lately. Things didn’t look good for him. In returning home from battle he and his men found their town burned and all of their family members had been taken captive. They all wept and his men talked of stoning him… he was greatly distressed, BUT “David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord.” AND, the end of the story is restoration and victory.
So, I am encouraging myself in the Lord with these scriptures – reading them, speaking them to myself, and I pray they will encourage you too. I’ll start with some words written by King David, and follow with some other precious words.
I am standing in absolute stillness, silent before the one I love, waiting as long as it takes for him to rescue me. Only God is my Savior, and he will not fail me. Psalms 62:5 TPT
So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. For no matter what, I will still sing with praise, for you are my saving grace! Psalms 42:5 TPT
The eyes of the Lord are upon even the weakest worshipers who love him— those who wait in hope and expectation for the strong, steady love of God. Psalms 33:18 TPT
Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 TPT
So cheer up! Take courage, all you who love him. Wait for him to break through for you, all who trust in him! Psalms 31:24 TPT
We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold, Hebrews 6:19 TPT
Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope! Romans 15:13 TPT
Oh, there are so many more I could share, I encourage you to pick up your Bible. Start reading the Psalms, spend some time in John 13-17, Hebrews 6-11, Romans 5-8. Be encouraged, He is for you, He loves you!
I have been meditating on Psalm 139 and I find it is almost beyond comprehension just how very much God loves me.
Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. Psalms 139:1-2 TPT
He knows me intimately, He knows all the times I have messed up, failed, been unloving, unkind, unfaithful… And yet even knowing everything about me He still chose to love (and still loves) me.
This song says it so well: “When He Was On The Cross I Was On His Mind” I can never forget — He Knew Me Yet He Loved Me.
For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. John 3:16 TPT https://bible.com/bible/1849/jhn.3.16.TPT
I hope you know that He feels the same way about you. You are so very loved by God. It’s about how great He is, not how worthy we are. It’s the precious blood of Jesus that redeems, forgives and gives us the great honor to become His children. Oh how He loves us!
I’ve missed writing and sharing with you. It’s been an extremely busy and somewhat challenging season for me. Working from home and care giving full-time hasn’t left me with much spare time, but again I’ve missed writing to you.
Anyway, I was considering what to write today and this song came to mind immediately. I hope you’ll be as encouraged by it as I am. By the grace of God…
I am standing in absolute stillness, silent before the one I love, waiting as long as it takes for him to rescue me. Only God is my Savior, and he will not fail me. Psalms 62:5 TPT https://bible.com/bible/1849/psa.62.5.TPT
From my pastor this morning: “Prayer is not complete without gratitude… Thankfulness is an exercise in Faith.” – Pastor George Pearson, Eagle Mountain International Church
Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, Philippians 4:6 TPT https://bible.com/bible/1849/php.4.6.TPT
We read in the story of Daniel and how he faced the lion’s den – not desperate or fearful. He was faithfilled and grateful. His prayers and thankfulness led to his deliverance . (Daniel 6)
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Daniel 6:10 AMPC https://bible.com/bible/8/dan.6.10.AMPC
I am grateful for good spiritual leaders, the ones I can look up to and want to emulate. Yet I remind myself that they are human and therefore not perfect — and that my hope must always be in the Lord.
I am also reminded that all those in positions of leadership need our prayers. If you are reading this will you please join me in praying for our leaders?
First – that they come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
Next – that their ears, hearts and minds are open to hear and receive godly wisdom. And they willingly act upon it in every important decision. That they are protected from and refuse to take part in any evil plan.
Higher than the highest heavens— that’s how high your tender mercy extends! Greater than the grandeur of heaven above is the greatness of your loyal love, towering over all who fear you and bow down before you! Farther than from a sunrise to a sunset— that’s how far you’ve removed our guilt from us. But Lord, your endless love stretches from one eternity to the other, unbroken and unrelenting toward those who fear you and those who bow facedown in awe before you. Your faithfulness to keep every gracious promise you’ve made passes from parents, to children, to grandchildren, and beyond. You arefaithful to all those who follow your ways and keep your word.
A Grateful Grace-full Life 