Your Will, Your Way

Apr16


Lord, the other morning, you woke me up to the Rush of Fools song Lay Me Down with the chorus playing over and over in my mind:

It will be my joy to say Your will, Your way. It will be my joy to say Your will, Your way. It will be my joy to say Your will, Your way. Always.

May these words forever be the song and attitude of my heart. I am here to please You alone, not myself and others. I want to do Your will, Your way. May I always be yielded to You and seek Your will in everything I do and say. Let those words marinate my soul and imprint on my mind. Lord, Your way is perfect. You are my shield and my refuge. You arm me with strength and make my way perfect. I am yours. Lead me where you want me to go and keep me in your perfect will, your perfect way. It will be my joy to say, “Your will, Your way!â€

“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.†(2 Samuel 22:31-33)

My child, I am the Way. My way is perfect. When you are surrendered to me, I will make your way perfect too. Seek me and my will for everything you do. I have a plan for you. I know what is best for you. I will be your strength and your refuge. I will lead you in the way everlasting. Yield your heart, your mind, and your body to me. I am in control. I am your stronghold. I am your Rock. I will take care of you. A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.

Daughter of the King

Apr11


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill.†(Joel 3:17)

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.†(Zephaniah 3:14-17)

You are my Daughter of Zion. As I dwell in Zion, I also dwell in you. I live in your heart. Be glad and rejoice, for I am with you. I take great delight in you. I rejoice over you in song. You are my child. I have adopted you as my own daughter. You are the Daughter of Zion, the Daughter of the King, my precious princess, the beautiful bride of Christ. You are mine. You belong to me.

Do not fear, I am with you always. Rejoice in the one who has saved you. Lift your hands in praise to the King. I am the one true God, and you have access to me at all times. Seek me within your own heart and you will find me. Listen to my voice from within. I will not lead you astray. Let me direct your paths. I have marked out the best way for you to go. Follow me, and I will lead you beside still waters. I will restore your soul. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of the King! Your God is with you, he dwells in you.

You Created Me–I am Yours

Apr8


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139: 13-14)

O Lord, my Lord, you saw me before you created me. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. You ordained all of my days before one of them came to be. You know my heart, O God. Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely. Lord, replace my words with your words. Speak through me. I am your instrument of love. Play me as a harp making sweet, pleasing melodies. I am your megaphone. Let me magnify your name, praising you before all nations. Let the words that flow from my lips be a fragrant offering to you, my Lord. May all who hear me, respond in praise to you.

I delight myself in you, my King. I am fearfully and wonderfully made in your image. You live in me and mold me into your likeness day after day. You have refined me like silver and tested me like gold. I belong to you, O Lord. I will glorify your name and lift your name high above the earth. I raise my hands to the heavens in honor of you. You have adopted me as your own. You are my God and Father, my Creator and Sustainer, my Rock and Redeemer. You rule and reign over heaven and earth. Please rule and reign in me, my King. My heart is yours; my tongue is yours; my will is yours. I surrender myself to you. Use me for your glory today and every day. I love you with all my heart.

My child, I saw you before I created the world. I designed you and formed you in your mother’s womb. I laid out your days before you were born. I know your heart and mind. I am familiar with your ways and know the words on your tongue before they are uttered. I will use you to glorify my name in all the earth. You have surrendered yourself to me. You are like putty in my hands. I am the potter; you are the clay. I will mold you and make you after my will. Daily give yourself into my hands, and I will lead you on the path I have marked out for you. Honor me in all you do and say.

Your heart is safe with me. I will guard it against all evil. Be true to me and remain in me, and I will remain in you. I am your God and Father, your Creator and Sustainer, your Rock and Redeemer. I have freed you from your prison. I rebuilt you and refined you to carry out my plans. I am with you always. Be strong and courageous. I go with you wherever I send you. I shadow you in the wings of my protection. You are mine. Nothing will take you over on my watch. I never sleep, nor slumber. You are always on my mind and in my heart, as surely as I live in yours. You are my darling daughter. I love you beyond your comprehension.

Sparkle Like Snow

Apr7


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)

Beloved one, when you accept me as your Savior, I wash away all your iniquity and cleanse you from your sin. You are a new creation–the old has passed away, the new is here. Do not return to the old way of living, when I have forgiven you and made you a righteous child of God. Call on my Spirit within you to help you overcome your temptations. The Spirit is willing to help you when your flesh is weak. You have access to the same power that raised me from the dead. Death could not keep me in the grave. I am alive, and my Spirit lives in you. Listen to my voice within and draw on my strength and wisdom. I will purify your heart and renew a right spirit within you. Maintain your integrity, and live a life set apart for me.  Do not conform to this world, but allow my Spirit to transform you into my likeness. Your body is my temple. Remain pure and holy as I have made my dwelling in you. You are my beloved child. You bear my good name. Honor me in all you do and say. Be a testament to my goodness. Sparkle like snow.

 

God’s not dead–He is alive!

Apr5


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!†(Luke 24:5-6)A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.

It is the first day of the week. You have come to worship me. When you arrive at the place where they laid my body, you see the large stone at the entrance has been moved. You enter to see only the empty strips of linen that once covered my bruised and broken body, lying on the ground. I am not there. I have risen! Do not look for me among the dead. I am alive! You do not worship a god carved out of stone. I am alive, and I dwell in you. You need to look no farther than within your own heart. I have not gone anywhere. You are not alone, I am with you always. Worship me with your songs and praises. Lift my name high above the earth. I am alive—Hallelujah!  Happy Easter!

Faithful and True

Mar29


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1: 7-9)

I am called Faithful and True. I am faithful and true to my promises. I will keep you strong to the end when Jesus Christ is revealed. I have called you into relationship with my Son and have adopted you as my own sons and daughters. You do not lack any spiritual gift. You have been enriched in every way. You have the gift of knowledge available to you through my Spirit who lives within you.

Listen to the voice of my Spirit of Truth and grow in spiritual wisdom. This way you will remain strong to the end, when you remain in continuous relationship with me. Do not forsake meeting with me and listening to me. I am the voice of reason in a world that has gone astray. Pay attention to my teachings. Remain pure and humble. Be obedient to my commands. Follow my instructions and you will be blameless on that final day. Be forever faithful and true to me.

Lay Down Your Palm Branches

Mar28


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel.†Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.†(John 12:13-15)

That’s right. Your king is coming. Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion. I am here. I have come in the name of the Lord to save you and give you life. You have accepted me and will spend eternity with me. My heart is troubled for those who have rejected me and my words. For I have spoken only what the Father commanded me to say. On the last day they will stand condemned forever.

I am the light. Follow the light and walk in the light. When you believe in me, you no longer walk in the darkness. You have seen the light, and therefore, you have seen the one who sent me. Share this light with those who walk in darkness. Do not hide your light, but put it on a stand for all to see. Reflect the beauty of my glory in the light of your countenance.

O Daughter of Zion, your king is coming. Lay down your palm branches and follow me.

You are the Salt of the Earth

Mar26


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6)

You are the salt of the earth. I have seasoned you with my goodness. Let all your conversations with outsiders be always full of grace and truth. Season the earth with the salt I have given you. Do not lose your saltiness, and therefore, your effectiveness as my witness. Remain in me and my salt will remain in you. In the world, too much sodium is not good for you. However, my salt makes for a healthy heart. Taste and see that the Lord is good, and then, season the whole earth with my goodness.

Go and Bear My Fruit

Mar21


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.†(Matthew 13:4-9)

When you share your story, you will sow my seed in many different places. Some seed will fall on the path, some on rock with shallow soil, some among thorns, and some on good soil.

It is not your job, when you share my message, to pay attention to how many lives are changed in the process. Your job is to sow the seed, my job is to bring in the harvest. Do not measure your success based upon the immediate response to your message. Some will not respond at all. Some will respond quickly, but then fall away. Others will hear the message but will be overtaken by the thorns of the world after that. Some seed will flourish, take root, and bear much fruit. But again, it is not your job to measure your work. You are not in control. Simply do your job and let me do mine. In merely telling your story, you are fulfilling my will and purpose for your life. It is no credit to you the number of souls that are saved. All glory and honor belong to me for the reaping of the harvest. Always remember your position and your role. Give me all the glory, honor, and praise for any fruit that you bear. I am the vinedresser. I have pruned you to bear fruit. Now go and bear it by spreading the seed I have given you to sow. Scatter it on all types of surfaces and I will determine the yield. I am the Lord, God. Go and bear my fruit.