Lead Me to the Rock

This week, I experienced an overwhelming feeling which pushed me to the end of my rope. Yet the Lord is faithful and He allowed me to know Him in a deeper and new perspective. It was all a combination of expectations I felt like I need to achieve with excellence. Expectations at work, at home and even in my ministry. I felt like I didn't have enough time to navigate my time and effort to accomplish everything. I found myself drained and stressed and was close to losing my  joy in doing the things I used to love with all my heart. I even had a hard time finishing my line up of songs that I felt the pressure on my chest as I tried to look for the songs. I was overwhelmed and my heart was fainting. I cried to God and met Him in that familiar place where I can be in His presence. He gave me His word in Proverbs 26:1 which says :When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the ROCK that is higher than I" Everything changed at that very moment. I prayed that He will carry me to His perspective..to His heights and view the things that overwhelm me in His own perspective, coated with His wisdom. Alas! He never failed to amaze me. I felt released and see my present circumstance in a very different perspective.  He also gave me His songs of praise. Indeed He is my Rock whom I can run to and take refuge. When the storm comes, I can hide in Him. He is my stronghold, He lifted me up and set my feet on the rock. Most of all, He carried me on to the rock who is Jesus. He is higher than my frustrations, my disappointments, my problems, and any thing that hinders me in seeing His promises.

Dear God,

Thank you for You have been our shield, the rock of our salvation, our hiding place, our stronghold and the rock of ages. Because of who you are I give You glory and life my voice and say " I worship you because of who You are!"

God Is My Strength

It has been almost two weeks That I'm suffering from dizziness and the feeling of being at my weakest. It all started with an infection for a week, got flu after that, hubby got sick and my first son got his share of the virus we brought home. The chain of being physically ill left me with lack of sleep and finally hit me with dizziness. There was a night that I felt I have to catch my breath and my heart beat faster. Seemed like I was choked and fear started to creep in my mind. Every time the shortness of breath and sever dizziness attack me, I panic and I feel weaker and helpless.
I ran to God, to His word of truth. he is faithful and He never fails to remind me. He spoke to me: "Child, I am your strength when you are weak. Don't be afraid for I am with you"  The Lord walks with me everyday. He knows what I have been through and He cares. He comforts me when the enemy starts to inject fear in my heart. I pray and declare that God is my victory and I stand on that higher ground.
I had my blood checked and ECG and showed that I am physically well and ok. The Lord reminded me to renew my mind. Get rid of stress and fill my mind with beautiful things that come from His word. Do something for myself, laugh, sing, and dance. Whew! I have been so busy in doing so many things that I forgot to take a breather and enjoy the blessings God has given me.
Yes Lord, You are my strength. Thank you for being there when I feel like I'm drowning.

Psalm 73:26 says  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

About 49,700,000 results (0.27 seconds) 

Search Results

1. 1. 

      God is the strength of my heart by don moen - YouTube

      www.youtube.com/watch?v=78A2OHILQWE
      

      
      
   2. Artist: Don Moen
   3. Album: God Is Good – Worship with Don Moen
   4. Released: 1998

                                         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78A2OHILQWE

Worry or Worship

  

                                        

Proverbs 31:25

 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

Sometimes I think I worry on random things too much. Sometimes I feel like it's a part of me. This trait has been with me since I was a little girl. In fact, when I was in my elementary days, when we moved to a new place where I feel it's unsafe for me to grow and live.At night,  I thought I am a super sister when everybody in the house were asleep while I was still wide awake thinking some bad guys might break in to our house and I will protect everyone. I was worried for the safety of everyone.

Today, I find never ending reasons to worry. Kids. Marriage. Finances. Health. Relationships. The future. If I let my thoughts run wild, I can list down all sorts of terrible scenarios, all starting with "what if." What if I lose my job? What if... what if...?

As time goes by, I realized that nothing in what I have been considering in my mind actually happened. I had sleepless nights and wasted my time to useless thought which never glorified my God.

 Proverbs 31:25 says,"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." This is the opposite to what I have been holding in my heart. This woman embraces strength and dignity that she can even laugh at the coming days. She stands strong holding her faith in God that her future is placed in God's hands. She has rooted her trust in God who is always faithful at all times knowing that He works all things together for good to those who love Him

I experienced God's comfort, deliverance and strength many times in my life. Often, things that concerned me have turned out to be blessings instead. There were circumstances in my life that I wished it didn't happen or it was just a dream that I can just get away. Yet, with God's faithfulness and love, I have seen myself more intimate with Him and have grown in wisdom and strength. That ugly thing has turned into a beautiful piece and offering to my Lord. Just like a caterpillar which before turning into a beautiful butterfly, must first keep itself in a dark cocoon.

Knowing that He is already in the future makes me realize that why should I worry? I must turn my eyes from worry into worship. I want to be that Proverb 31: 25 woman..one who chooses worship  and to laugh a little more often.

.

Fulfillment

Malachi 3:1

King James Version (KJV)

3 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

New International Version (NIV)

3 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire,will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

Another great understanding I learned today.Let me start by this word...

Desires. All of us have desires but most of us don't understand our desires. Everyone of us are seeking for fulfillment and we are trying the best way we can think of to get it. We often caught in a thinking that we know how to get hold on  what we know as fulfillment. It may be hard to digest, but almost all of the ways we trod to fulfillment lead us to a temporary fix. It may just a scratch at the surface, deeply moves us or can be satisfying, but not forever. Eventually, it falls short and leaves us frustrated and disappointed. 

In the book of Malachi, it is prophesied that God will send the messenger and He will come.The One who knows our deepest desire, the God who orchestrated our past, present and future, our Lord who has the greatest desire to fill the emptiness in our hearts. He alone can give fulfillment. However, we have this assumption that He has something best in store for us but this best is less satisfying than what we really want. We assume that His plan is not really fulfilling and is lacking of taste or fun.

This assumption doesn't show any difference on what happened in the garden of Eden when the serpent said “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

This lie told by the serpent manipulates our mind saying that there are better things than what God is actually offering or giving you. Total lie. It's his way of luring you away from what is really true, satisfying and fulfilling life our God has prepared for us.

We should open our eyes in understanding to submit to our God. When things seem ugly, unsatisfying, and indifferent from what we think we deserve, remember that God has  more desire to bless you and prepares the best for you for He loves you. Yes, He loves you that He even gave His son Jesus for you. So, why don't we just embrace that promise given...God's promise is the messenger, our Lord. Jesus, it is you that can only satisfy

.

Shine In Me

2 Corinthians 4:6

King James Version (KJV)

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Today, we sang the song Open My Eyes in our worship service. This had spoken to me and I claimed it as my prayer.

 Open my eyes, I want to see Your glory.

 I open my heart, I want to be closer, closer to You.

I am once again reminded of  my deepest need to see God's glory in my life. My heart is burning for it, begging and opening my heart for God to fill it. 

I have been in difficult times which is common to all but one thing that made me grateful is the joy I experience when I spend time to worship. This is the time I experience the light of God's glory; seeing more of Him. Worship can been much sweeter  even in the midst of trials and storms. This can be incomprehensible to the world yet this is a testimony to those who are blinded. Blind people can't appreciate light but they can hear about it from God's worshiper. I desire to lead the blind to the light as I dwell in the presence of God's glory shining His light in my life. Everyday He changes me from glory to glory. I am not perfect, I have lots of flaws, but I am willing to allow the light of God shine in me and consume me. Lord, shine in me.

He makes all things beautiful in HIS time

Ecclesiastes 3

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Oh how sweet to my ears are these words from God for this year 2014. Last year, it was a year of tears, fear, helplessness, confusions, chaos, and other negative emotions which I never chose to experience. Family problems of any sorts, intense pressure at work, extreme morning sickness which actually lasted until the sun sets, and other challenges which I lost in counting. They were  huge ugly and undesirable things that no one will choose to trade with me. I was broken and burned into ashes.

Yet, God always comes to my rescue.

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;(Psalm 34:19)

This verse was given by our pastor to encourage everyone in one of our Saturday practices in the praise team. It was so strong and powerful, it caught me big time. I hold on to Him, knowing that even I was still in a dark valley, the Lord was with me and He will deliver me. I hide His word in my heart when things went rough. God never fails. I continue to seek Him and His will clinging to His promise that His deliverance is at hand.

 James 1:2-4 (NIV)  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith provides perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be full and complete, not lacking anything.”

Praying, seeking, loving Him more, embracing the moment and looking forward for the unknown future. And yes, God is good all the time. In His perfect time, He showed me His will and His ways. I opened my eyes in new and wider perspectives. I became stronger and wiser as I get loose of my self in His presence; a place where I desire many can come and take refuge. Even everything around me is not perfect and ideal, I found my perfect peace in His presence. He has given me His word in Ecclesiastes 3 that in every thing there is a season and I believe that this year, something great is in store for me and my household. As it is written  "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"1 Corinthians 2:9.

He makes all things beautiful in His time.