Return to your place of strength
For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Isaiah 30:15
One of my fav scriptures, and I have many. This one has always seemed to help me when I am busying myself with other things, even if it’s with worry and doubt, and I’ve gotten outside of the of will of God. Just because we are busy, doesn’t mean that we are productive. Anyone can get busy, frantic or just plain out filled with worry and doubt as I stated, leaving room for nothing else. So, we must ask ourselves: are we making time for the most important and most importantly are we following God; trusting and relying on Him? His Word? His power? His direction? Are we leaning in or barely hanging on?
So many times we run to the wrong things, the wrong people or put so many activities in front of us to distract us from what we should do. Or, maybe it’s even unintentional but has led us to burnout. Unless our priorities are in order and God is first and center, then we are out of whack, like a bad misalignment in the body, but instead in spirit. If we are out of line in one area, we are likely out of line in all. The body, mind and spirit are all connected and meant to function in sync. The Word says that as a man thinks in his heart so he is. Our mind is powerful. David asked his own soul why it was so downcast within him. He knew that the soul was made up of the mind will and emotions and it effected his physical, mental and spiritual function. James said a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. We are to be of a single mind and purpose with focus. Are we focused on God or what makes us comfortable? God or what feels good? Waiting on God or just looking for a fast fix?
We live in such a fix it and I want it now world.
I can have little to do and still get distracted by the things that I let creep in when my mind isn’t right. When my heart isn’t quite in the right place and I don’t have the rest and trust that I need, I am still just as bad off. It’s usually because I have too much time on my hands. We were created for good works but unless we have something in front of us to do, we will think about all the things that we can’t control. If we have too much scattered in front of us then we aren’t steadied, stable or focused on the right things. We start to rely on the wrong things. And we can see here that we need to be focused and God centered either way, because otherwise we lose our balance, trip and fall, and quickly get to a place that we aren’t safe and secure nor trusting Him anymore.
Why do we always run back to the things that once hindered us and kept us bound? Why is it that when we seem to have gotten to a good place, or a place of peace, we turn around? Why did the Israelites want to run back to Egypt, their not so safe place, but yet their place of comfort, that was nothing more than just a state of knowing what would happen? They didn’t want any adversity, challenges or resistance. They didn’t want anything coming their way that would require faith. They wanted the arm of Pharoah, not the arm of God, until they desperately needed Him. It wasn’t until they got in trouble. They were very rebellious, leaving the direction and course that He gave. Leaning in on God requires faith, unanswered questions, challenges and trust. It all goes together.
Yet how often are we the same. Running back to worthless things and worry that serve no purpose except for to steal our time, joy, peace, peace of mind and strength. The enemy comes to wear out the saints. If he can’t get you in one way, he’ll come at you another. We must hear from God, we must follow His word and we must listen! As Christine Caine says: “Obedience takes courage”!
When we turn from Him, we basically despise His word and distrust His way. We need to realize how serious sin is and it’s consequences because of how it effects us. God ain’t mad at us but rather at the sin that we allow, the mistrust, and the more important things and agendas that we keep before Him. Why? Bc it destroys us and breaks relationship with Him. We’d rather trust in oppression and crookedness according to the prophets word in Isaiah 30:12 “Because you despise the Word”, it says.
Well, you may say, that seems like a strong word. We might say that we definitely don’t despise, but do we not? Do we not regard as worthless if we don’t follow? It’s obviously not priority or of too importance.
I’m not preaching at anyone, just speaking truth and making even myself more aware at the seriousness of not following Gods word, just as He said. We are to honor and regard and respect and keep His word as true, worthy, honorable, trustworthy and precious. We are to hold it near and dear to our hearts. Yet so often we disregard it, blatantly ignore it and regard as unworthy of consideration. If it’s not true then we’d follow what He’s asked us to do. We must see the truth in order to follow it.
We are to heed; to listen and follow His word. It’s all black and white and written. We should SEEK it out. LISTEN for His voice, and as we ASK Him for His direction.
This is where our broken walls come in, this is where the collapse comes; where we have left cracks and breaches in our lives, not followed after every word, or trusted every word spoken and so went our own way. I don’t want to sound harsh but we’ve lived in a walk on egg shells kinda world for far too long. I can Personally attest that the love Of God and His mighty words of truth spoken out of love over me and THAT’S what has changed me. Never did a sugar coated half truth! Never! If you loved a child, and you knew what they did harmed them because they would not listen, wouldn’t you warn them? God loves us, make no mistake!
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
But let’s look at when you shall know the truth. IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORD. That means you believe it IF you follow it or else you don’t and you disregard and despise it. We need to learn to distinguish again, or even if for the first time, the difference between the holy/sacred and the unholy/non sacred things. That’s a whole ‘nother message for another time but it’s truth. You do or you don’t, in or out, one or the other, or else you don’t and we disregard if we ignore.
My words may not be pretty, and I may not have all of the correct punctuations, and I might be too long winded; all the things I fear. BUT, I want to speak the word of truth, the word of God, that is the ONLY things that will change you! And, you must believe truth and so walk in it or you don’t!!! That’s the bottom line. Let it change you or walk in opposition to it. You’re for or against, you gather or you scatter. There’s no in-between in Gods eyes, in His Kingdom of God. We are to be on one side of the fence. He said He’d rather us be hot or cold and if we love Him, to keep His commands. I can repeat it in every blog I write and it should never get old, because the seriousness of it is that we will only hear one of two words one day: well done, enter in or depart, I never knew you. It’ll only be one of the two and based upon how you and I live down here. It’s just like the days of Noah, these days that we are living in. God loves us. He wants us to hear and walk in truth. To help each other grow and encourage one another in this walk.
Let’s not disregard His sacred word any longer. It’s time to choose. If you disregard something, you throw it away and count it as unimportant. Let’s just be honest and cut to the chase: the truth. Warm isn’t a good growth place but only a breeding ground for bacteria. A comfortable place is a dangerous place just as is stagnation. Think about it.
So this is where the Israelites got back off track and so do we, trusting in things that won’t fix us, that we try to help fix us, or think will somehow make us happy and so in turn; waste lots of time, money, and energy until we feel so far away from God. That’s when we know we have strayed. When you don’t know what to do, always turn to God and wait. He should be our first resort, not our last, as often He is. Just as the Israelites had turned time and time again, yet the Lord continued to forgive, help them, pursue them and bring them back.. He loved them too.
In returning to Me; repenting, turning back around, that’s what repentance is. He constantly calls throughout His word for His once followers and sinners to TURN around. Turn from your wicked ways of sin and turn to Me. Isn’t that what sin is; Wickedness? All unrighteousness is sin, so if we’ve gotten off track and from underneath His wing as and out from under His shelter, then we’ve gotten out from underneath His righteousness. It was never our own in the first place. We are covered like a coat, in His righteousness from what He did for us on the cross. So all else apart from Him is unrighteousness; Not right. It’s sinful to go back and to trust and rely on anything or one other than the Almighty God.
So when we repent and return, only then can we rest. Only then can we be saved from our selves, our sin, and our wrong way of thinking. Only then can we sit at the Masters feet and wait for our enemy to be put to shame. Only then can we be held knowing and rest without turning to the right and left looking over our shoulder for trouble. We can be still and know and be quiet and trust and not be afraid because “in His presence” ALL fear is GONE, He cast it out and It cannot stand .
A friend of mine, use to say that In worship, she didn’t feel any pain from her rheumatoid. I recalled this last Easter Sunday because I had went into church with a headache but determined to get there, and as I worshipped and sat in God presence and after leaving I realized that I didn’t feel pain while I was there.
Here’s a few facts:
1- we can get that anywhere bc He’s everywhere we go
2- He inhabits our praise
3- We must hide and rest under the shadow of the Mighty as commanded and offered, relying on His strength.
He prepares for us here for when we come in and go out and It’s only by His strength.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Isaiah 40:28-29
But they that wait upon The Lord shall renew their strength…….. Why? Because we are plugged into God; The Source of Power, our Supplier.
So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6
“So I will strengthen them in the LORD, And they shall walk up and down in His name,” Says the LORD. Zechariah 10:12
It’s time to return.
It’s time to rest.
It’s time to be still and quiet.
It’s time to be confident, fully sure and assured that He is God, trusting In Him and His power.
He is the source and supplier and it’s only By His Spirit= our power source to do what we need to do.
If you’ve got out of peace and into worry, out of alignment, out of His will and direction & into your own, then it’s time to return back to Him. He is the source of ALL peace, power, joy, understanding, wisdom and strength . He is an ever present helper, refuge and a tower that we can run into and be safe. He has every thing we need. He shouldn’t just be an option, He is the solution. I went to a supply store yesterday and the sign read: “Not just parts……SOLUTIONS!” Even Jesus withdrew to pray. He needed INfused with Gods power strength. He knew the source. In whole, He’s not just parts, He has it all.
Pour out your heart to Him.
“Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” Psalm 62:8
Jesus is My source, My intercessor, My example, My way and My way maker. God I look to You.
What the Lord says, we find is true; there is no comfort or strength or faith apart from Him. He is our one true source! Our one stop shop. He is God. Those that wait upon and look for Him are renewed again and Blessed. For He longs and waits to be gracious to you and me. Let Him INfuse you today. Return to Him.
And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. You will also defile the covering of your images of silver, And the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; You will say to them, “Get away!” Isaiah 30:20-22
We must be willing to listen for Gods voice and follow, and get rid of what hinders us . Shift and refocus. Then the blessings will pursue and come as He said. We must be willing to put in the seed of obedience by faith.
Lord I need you, everyday I need you, all day I need you from the time that I wake up in the morning to the time that I open my eyes again. When I think I don’t, I soon realize I do. I’ll never need to stop going back to the well, the source of my strength, wisdom and understanding. I never stop needing you and that is why I pray continually and why I should never stop praising You, my greatest need.
Lord, Lead me, guide me direct Me, strengthen me, speak to me. For I know You are concerned for me and my every need. All understanding comes from You and so I don’t lean to my own. Only you alone give wisdom to show me how to use what you’ve given me. Thank You. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
I care not today what the tomorrow may bring
If shadow or sunshine or rain
The Lord I know ruleth o'er everything
And all of my worry is vain
Living by faith
In Jesus above
Trusting, confiding
In His great love
From all harm safe
In His sheltering arm
I'm living by faith
And feel no alarm
I know that He safely will carry me through
No matter what evils betide
Why should I then care though the tempest may blow
If Jesus walks close to my side?
~ Lyrics from “Living By Faith”
God Bless. 🙏
