Category: Abundant Living

Your Soul Finds its Worth

To lift up your soul to Me is not to deprive yourself – but to cause yourself to thrive.

Meditation Thought: “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8)

“Surely you shall know of My love, and I will teach you the way to go. I have sought your soul – ever since I created you, hoping that you would choose to respond to My love – respond so fully that you would “lift up your soul” to Me. How I long to enhance your soul – to make your soul, and thus your total being, beautiful and fruitful. To lift up your soul to Me is not to deprive yourself – but to cause yourself to thrive, to come into a maturity of being that makes visible the bountiful harvest of life. For I cherish your soul; I give your soul all it needs to be its very best. How you can rejoice that you place your soul in My care!

It is this very act which Jesus sought by His sacrifice to bring about. He longed for your soul to be lifted up to Me. Your doing so brings Him great joy. Your doing so lifts Him up also, as He dwells in you. By your act, you express your appreciation to Him and your love for Him. How could you better please Me?

In pleasing Jesus, in pleasing Me, you also please yourself. There is no conflict of interest when a soul is lifted up to Me. Yes, bring your soul to Me that I may care for it. Start each day with lifting your soul up to Me as you lift your body from the bed. You shall not be disappointed with the results – nor shall I, nor anyone whose life you touch.”

Step-by-Step: Seeking Lord’s Guidance in Decision Making

Do not make complications where none are intended.

Meditation Thought: “Moses answered them, ‘Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.'” (Numbers 9:8)

Look before you leap. Look to the Lord – where? You have His Word, you have His life – both as a record and His strength within you. Do not make complications where none are intended. Step by step, do what seems right After
1. Prayer
2. Listening
3. Analyzing for
a) priorities
b) the details of the situation
c) likely consequences – both positive and negative.

And, when the deed is done, pray the Lord’s will be done – and trust that it will, and do not speculate any further.

Finding Peace in God’s Grace

Take heart!

Meditation Thought: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord let his face shine upon you…” (Numbers 6:24-25a)

But you want to choose the way of blessing don’t you? You want to decide where He keeps you? And you want His face to shine on you whether you are within His kingdom, or whether you are rebelling in the world?

Take heart! You at least recognize your willfulness, stubbornness and contrariness. You want to want the Father’s will – and that is a beginning!

Stay in prayer, in supplication, in thanksgiving – and make your requests known. You shall have “the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4) – it may be that your desires shall be what is changed, not circumstances. Do not plot and plan, get tense and fight what is disappointing to you. Relax. My Grace is sufficient for you. Do you believe this?

(Yes, Lord. I believe – help my unbelief!) (Mark 9:24)

Exchange Your Crown: Finding True Freedom in Faith

You cannot wear two crowns at the same time. Exchange the old for the new. Take care of what thoughts, words and deeds proceed from you, for they shall return, essentially of the same character.

Meditation Thought: “They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.'” (Revelation 4:10-11)

“Cast your crown before Me. I have given you the crown of your freedom of will. You are not compelled to hold it out as an offering to Me, who first gave it to you. But if you find the courage and the desire to hand it back to Me, you will receive far better than the crown of free will. You will have the crown of My will shining upon you. It brings beauty and grace, love and truth, all that you long for. But you cannot wear two crowns at the same time.

Exchange the old for the new.
Exchange the crown of the world for the crown of the kingdom.
Exchange the focus of your life from yourself to Me.
We are bound together by our relationship.
We are bound together in our purpose.

Take care of what thoughts, words and deeds proceed from you, for they shall return – added to, altered, enlarged – but essentially of the same character.

Understanding Time: A Divine Perspective on the Present

Time as minutes ticking off is unimportant. Time as revealing the status of a minute is important. Time is only a tool which I use to reconcile My children to Myself.

Meditation Thought:  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

“The beginning, the end, the past, the future, and always the present – for what is the present but that which will become past and lead to future?

I am – time as you perceive it has no meaning for Me, for it is not a restriction to My works. I am everywhere, at all times, and as I am allowed free expression of Myself by a yielded will, a perceptive mind, a receptive heart, My purposes are fulfilled. Time as minutes ticking off is unimportant. Time as revealing the status of a minute is important. Is that moment one wherein I am perceived, received, conceived as an addition, a force, a catalyst? Or am I ignored, rejected, rendered ineffective by your free will?

Time exists only as life exists. It is defined and takes shape and substance only within movement, only when evolvement is taking place.

There is a phrase “quality time”. It refers to the extent of the commitment, purpose, direction and effectiveness of the activities performed during this period.

I am interested only “quality time”. I can function for your good only in “quality time”. When there is no movement, there is not time. When there is no movement in a positive direction (meaning toward the more complete expression of Myself through a yielded will, a perceptive mind, a receptive heart), then this moment is not “quality time” and is a moment unrelated to Me. A moment unrelated to Me is so foreign as to My purposes for creation as to be considered non-existent.

When you are sufficiently perceptive, wisely motivated, practicing your skills faithfully and to the best of your abilities, you come into more complete understanding of the concept of the true nature of time, and the purpose of time.

Time is only a tool which I use to reconcile My children to Myself. It is only a showcase for My character to be revealed. It is only a floodlight to illumine the Truth – the Truth of our relationship, of the nature of creation, of the meaning and purpose of your life – to you – and to Me.”

The Path to Lasting Peace and Joy

Do not anticipate where the Father instructs Me to lead you. Look to Me, follow Me, for with Me you are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.

Meditation Thought: “My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life.” (John 10:27,28)

My voice reveals My love, and guides my sheep to hope. No more are you lost in the briers, but I shall lead you to nourishing pastures – to protected places. You need fear no more, when you follow Me, I am the resurrection and the life – your resurrection and your life. I came – and I come – that you may live within My loving care, that you may be – and feel – secure wherever we are together.

The way is simple, but not considered “easy” for it requires obedience and discipline. The way dictates that you not run off to places other than where I lead you – for I lead you where the Father has first led me. But in your choosing obedience and discipline rather than bearing the consequences of the alternate path, you will gain. You will gain the peace of obedience to the very best hope – the Father’s ultimate will. To suffer in struggle is not as painful as to suffer in conscience for realizing that there was a path which could have been a way to feed the sick, clothe the naked, love the unlovely – and transform the woes of the world into the joys of the kingdom – and you chose another path, a path which left the world in as sad a condition as you found it – perhaps even a worsened condition.

Do not anticipate where the Father instructs Me to lead you. Look to Me, follow Me, for with Me you are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. What is ‘right’? ‘Right’ is the process of the cohesive working of the Father’s will: the process of wooing His children, who have strayed foolishly in their freedom, back into His loving Presence. He does not force them – for that would negate their freedom to, of their own choice, love Him – or reject Him. And love forced is not love at all, but coercion.

The Father sent Me to bring His message: “I love you. All is forgiven. Come home to Me, where I will welcome you with open arms, and prepare celebrations of our reunion. Fear not that you have rebelled against Me, disappointed Me, distrusted Me. All that is in the past. I desire – I have always desired – only that you allow Me to love you, for when you allow Me to love you, it follows as day follows night that you will love Me. Our mutual love and understanding expressed as we once again dwell together is My plan for the ‘fullness’ of time. It happens at the time you understand that My desire to lavish My love upon you is compatible – in fact, is identical with your desire to have Me do so, knowing that My love shall wash you clean, heal your wounds, bring joy to your heart and peace to your soul. And when My child is clean, healed, full of joy and peace, then is My will done. Then am I well pleased.”

Embrace the Unseen: Finding True Prosperity

The kingdom’s definition and the fulfillment of the promise of the kingdom’s prosperity and success shall be your peace, your joy, your fulfillment.

Meditation Thought: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. The unseen shall be the developing of the seen. Your thoughts, your energy, your time and your commitment to My Word, My Son and My Spirit shall bring you prosperity and success. Prosperity and success not in the world’s definition but in the Kingdom’s definition.

The kingdom’s definition and the fulfillment of the promise of the kingdom’s prosperity and success shall be your peace, your joy, your fulfillment. No good thing shall you lack, for I am your Father: loving, encouraging, delighting in you as My precious child. I am not a harsh taskmaster – any discipline I administer is for your good: to teach you, to prepare you, that your challenges of life will be met in confidence, and overcome with enthusiasm.

Together are we not equal to any circumstance? Together are we not equal to any task? Together shall we not cause the success and prosperity of the kingdom to displace the failures and poverty of the world?

We meet, embrace,
Come together as one.
Not complete was one alone.
Larger now, complementing one another
In appearance,
Declaring strength.
Rejoicing in hope.
We are met – and melded – and molded:
Pliable, yet withstanding pressure –
Pressure which would separate us,
Reversing our gains.
We shall be firm – in purpose
We shall be soft – in comfort
We shall be what we should be,
What we desire to be:
A portion of the kingdom.
And being such,
Changing a dreary world
From a rebellious misfit
Into an orderly, joyful, place –
Annexed by the kingdom,
Surprised – but pleased!

Running Together, Achieving Glory

If there were no challenge to overcome, where would be the glory of the victory?

Meditation Thought: “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 1:20-21)

In these ways, you will be able to meet the challenge of life – in body and in spirit. Do not despair over the horrors of the times. Through the power and wisdom and knowledge and strength of God flowing in you, subdue that which would destroy you – even make the enemy your friend – one who works for your good, as you have worked for their good.

Life is complicated, and must be met at many levels. But you are capable of meeting the challenge: you have been created to do so. You need only to become convinced of it, and you will act accordingly.

You are weak when you rely only on your own resources. But, as you realize you are spirit and mind – and made in the Father’s image and have have His love, His character, His teaching, and His power all working for your successful meeting of the challenges – then, then you are not only a child of God in HIs eyes, but a child of God in your eyes, and a child of God in all eyes.

If there were no challenge to overcome, where would be the glory of the victory? You would shun the race if you could – but you cannot. Given this fact, the better choice by far is to study, prepare, practice that you may do well. Do well, not with the purpose of outperforming your ‘competitors’ – but that you may enable them to perform well also. You are not running against each other, but running together to do the best possible time on the course.

The manner in which you train and run will influence all who run with you. You can run well. You can inspire well. Will you train with discipline? Will you run with vigor? Follow the One who has demonstrated the way.

The Power of Worship: Finding Your Path to Serve the Lord

The first step is to acknowledge that I am not master of my own destiny. The second step is to realize that I do affect my destiny. The third is to seek how to choose wisely as I am confronted with alternatives.

Meditation Thought: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” (Luke 4:8)

Who is the Lord that I should worship him? Who is the Lord that I should serve him?

The Lord is more powerful than any other creature of power.
The Lord is everywhere.
The Lord is wise, loving, just, righteous, merciful.

Are these qualities which I should value? Of course – and not only value, but determine the significance of them in relationship to me.

To be ignorant of the structure of life is to lack the knowledge and the wisdom to make decisions which will be in harmony with that structure, and thus bring positive results.

The first step is to acknowledge that I am not master of my own destiny. The second step is to realize that I do affect my destiny. The third is to seek how to choose wisely as I am confronted with alternatives.

The whole eludes me,
The part entraps me.
Or is the entrapment truly a cocoon
Protecting me, nourishing me, preparing me
Until I am ready to soar above
To see beyond the limits of my childhood place?

To venture out into the vastness of creation
Without preparation for the awesomeness, character, and challenges it presents
Is to be a fool, to endanger myself, to be prey to the unknown.

But to choose to follow my nature,
Be patient to learn before I leap,
To seek to know who I am, and what I should become
That I may be true to my best potential
And satisfy my soul:
This is to be a worshiper of the Lord,
And a servant unto Him.
Hallelujah!

Renew Your Spirit: Tap into the Living Water

Meditation Thought: “God loves a cheerful giver… and God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

“Yes, I will provide water in the wilderness and streams in the desert to give drink to my people. Head my directions in leading you to the deep artisan wells I want you to uncover and release in a gushing of the Living Water to renew and burst forth in full potential.

You possess my “divining rod” to discover the hidden wells needed to release growth. I will teach you to use it if you will seek my wisdom and knowledge, in faith and trust, and act upon my instructions. Do not leave one well uncovered by being distracted, inattentive, allowing feelings to wrongly overwhelm you.

Take my ‘divine rod’ in your hands, and let Me energize it at the places you are to dig: if you set your will on obeying your you will have the excitement and joy of “bringing in a real gusher” time after time after time. You will hardly be able to contain your energy as you realize that you are bringing beautiful life into that which appeared desolate as you allow Me to guide you from glory to glory.”