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
I’ve heard and said this prayer more times than I can count, and possibly you have too. But tonight I ŕead it in The Passion translation for the first time. Then I read it again and again while thinking on His great love, of the king of the universe, the Almighty, Most High God. And I was reminded that FIRST of all, his desire is to be known as our beloved father.
I remember a time in the last year or so, things seemed so hard, overwhelming, impossible, but God. I heard Holy Spirit whisper to my heart, sing a hallelujah. It wasn’t easy to start. I went out to my back porch and turned the volume up all the way, and I started to sing a long as loud as I could, with tears streaming down my face ….I sing a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies…fear has lost its hold on me… By the time the song was done, I felt his grace surrounding me, I was stronger, knowing He is for me.
It isn’t always easy to praise God when we are going through difficult times. But it is so important, so freeing, so healing, so right. Praise is powerful and it drowns out the enemy. As we praise God we are resisting Satan and his lies, and he must flee! I can imagine him screaming nooooo….as he runs away.
Think about this… if the praises of toddlers and babies are powerful enough to shut the enemy up, we (as his children) can expect the sane when we praise with child like faith!
You have built a stronghold by the songs of children. Strength rises up with the chorus of infants. This kind of praise has power to shut Satan’s mouth. Childlike worship will silence the madness of those who oppose you. Psalms 8:2 TPT
Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble. Psalms 8:2 MSG
According to the Websters 1828 Dictionary, A refuge can be defined as “That which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity; a strong hold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; any place inaccessible to an enemy.“
I think at times we all know that we need a refuge. I sure know I do. To reinforce my awareness I recently added scriptures and sayings to my bedroom walls. Now no matter where I look I am reminded of Him. To look unto Jesus. The author and finisher of my faith. My refuge, my strength, and my secure hiding place. To trust Him every day, in every circumstance.
God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you. Psalms 46:1 TPT
He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. Psalms 91:2 TPT
So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that his promise and his vow will never change! And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness. This is where we find his strength and comfort, for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time—an unshakable hope! Hebrews 6:18 TPT
Be encouraged 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!
Take hold of it, receive the Father’s love for you. We don’t deserve it, but He thinks we are worth it. Oh how He loves you and me.
Say this: Thank you Father. I receive your love, your kindness and the wellbeing flowing from you and Jesus toward me today. Thank you for sacrificing Jesus for my sins, for setting me free. I give you all the glory, now and forever, 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
“And why would you worry about your clothing? Look at all the beautiful flowers of the field. They don’t work or toil, and yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was robed in beauty like one of these!” Matthew 6:28 TPT
I have heard that worry defined is a greater belief in something or someone’s ability to do us harm than our belief/faith in God — that he cares for us. So the next time a worried thought comes I encourage you to refuse it and take these thoughtsinstead. It helps me to say them out loud, as a way to take ownership of them.
So if worrying adds nothing, but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry about God’s care of you? Luke 12:26 TPT
I repeat: Don’t let worry enter your life. Live above the anxious cares about your personal needs. Luke 12:29 TPT
For the Lord takes care of all his forgiven ones while the strength of evil men will surely slip away. Psalms 37:17 TPT
So here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you. Psalms 55:22 TPT
Pour out all your worries and stress upon himand leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 TPT
“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” Matthew 6:33-34 TPT
As I wrote earlier, God wants me (and you) to think His thoughts, because they are higher, better, and they accomplish the purpose for which he thinks and speaks them. Following up on that, I am listening to, reading and hearing about the importance of what I think – because it matters.
I have heard this saying: You can’t stop the birds from flying over head, but you can stop them from nesting in your hair. It’s the same with thoughts. Just because a thought “flies over” doesn’t mean it’s something I have to take ownership of. I have the opportunity to judge each thought. I may choose to accept as truth and meditate on it, or I can reject it as a lie and refuse it.
Here are a few of the scriptures that remind and help me to embrace the power of God’s thoughts, as communicated in His Word:
For the rest, brethren, whatever istrue, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Philippians 4:8 AMPC
Keep your thoughtscontinually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Philippians 4:8 TPT
Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. Colossians 3:2 TPT
Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet toprotect your thoughtsfrom lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken word of God. Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers. Ephesians 6:17-18 TPT
We candemolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 2 Corinthians 10:5 TPT
Think about, know and believe this today beloved: His thoughts toward us are precious, His plans for us are good, for our peace (shalom – wholeness, nothing broken, missing or lacking). Oh how He loves us!
Every single moment you are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought! O God, your desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore! When I awake each morning, you’re still with me. Psalms 139:17-18 TPT
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Jeremiah 29:11 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!
A Grateful Grace-full Life 