Dayenu, have you ever heard of it? Traditionally, it is a song during the Jewish Passover (Seder meal) sung to remember God’s faithfulness towards the Israelites in Exodus. “It would have been enough” is the meaning behind the word ‘dayenu’, recognizing each and every goodness would have been enough. The following is the full text in Hebrew and English…
If He had brought us into the land of Israel and had not built us the ‘Chosen House’ [the Temple; it would have been] enough for us
Have you ever considered such? Have you ever considered what would have been enough? What has God done for you that would have been enough? Enought to continually praise His Name. What was your “Egypt” that He has brought you out of? What was your “Red Sea” experience that He brought you through? What has your provision in the wilderness been like? How about your “Shabbat” or your “Mt. Sinai”? Have you considered that the gift of The WORD, itself as enough? The written and the Living??? What would have been enough for you?
I would greatly encourage you to sit quietly alone, possibly in your secret place and reflect over the course of your life all that God has done for you. Make a list. Write it down. This draws us in and keeps us close to Him. It helps us remain thankful and grateful instead of wanting for more. Yes, we should always have a desire for more of God. But we need to keep a check our heart attitude. What is our behind or beneath that desire for more of God? Are we comparing ourselves to others and desiring what they have? Or is it from a place of “less of me (flesh) and more of Him”?
When I have stopped and taken account of all that God has done for me in my life, I can say it has shown me His faithfulness again and again and again. It has wrecked me, in a good way. Causing me to see His hand throughout my life even when I was far from Him. It is like being able to see THE thread weaving through the fabric of your life pulling it all together. There is a small sense of gaining insight into His Sovereignty in your life. I write “small sense” because I am not quite sure we will ever comprehend it on the scale that it truly exists. The magnitude of it is far too grand. Imagine doing this annually like it is at Passover, but each year writing out all the new things for that year. What kind of list would we have at the end of life here on earth? One that would cause you to lift up praise to Him for eternity, I believe.
So, again, I ask, what would be enough for you? Enough for you to worship and praise Him. For He alone is worthy of all our praise. All of our worship!
To God be the glory forever and ever, for great things He has done! Amen.
Last Sunday, the message at church was a great reminder about the power in the tongue. Something I have sat with often and reflected upon. I needed this reminder. And I needed it now. So often, I have heard ‘words are just words’ from others. When I hear someone make that statement, all I hear is ‘danger, danger….do not be deceived.’
Before I knew The Lord, I most likely had a similar thought process and no understanding. But not anymore. I have seen too much. Heard too much. Received too much. Learned too much. I have been on both sides; the giving (speaking) and receiving of both blessing and cursing.
The Scripture used for Sunday’s message was James 3:8, “but the tongue no one can tame-it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison.” CJB Seems to be abundantly clear that our words either speak life or death. (Prov. 18:21) It doesn’t sound to me like any of our words are neutral, but contain powerful consequences. The Book of Proverbs is one of the best sources on the study of our words and the power of our tongue. The majority of it is written by Solomon, the man God richly blessed with wisdom and understanding. Yet, Solomon, who wrote such words of wisdom, later walked away from them and didn’t live by them. Makes me shudder to think we can gain all the wisdom and still lose our way. A great and powerful reminder to remain humble and never think of oneself more highly than one ought (Romans 12:3).
That verse makes me think of a man I knew. A man I grew to love. A man I miss. A humble man that lived out that verse…..my father-in-law, who truly became my father-in-love, Jay S. Witmoyer.
When considering our words, let’s first take a look at the words spoken by The One in whom our image is created. We are created in His image according to Genesis 1:27. And what else do we read about in the beginning? Throughout Genesis 1, we read the Creation story. And how did the Creation come about? “God said, Let there be….” (verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, and 24). He simply spoke and there was. His words created!! His words brought forth life! Think about the universe, today. Or as Scripture refers to it, heaven.
“Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” Genesis 1:6-8
The expanse keeps expanding! Isn’t science even proving this today? David wrote about it in Psalm 19, verse 1…”The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” [NASB] Since we are created in His image and His words have such power to create, wouldn’t ours? Maybe that is why it is written in Proverbs 18:21 that ours words speak life or death! And maybe this is why it is written in Matthew 12:36-37 that we will give account for every word spoken. We must pause and contemplate the weight of our words, asking ourselves, “what are my words creating?” The pastor giving the message actually asked us “what worlds are your words creating?”
In Joshua 21:45, we read that “not one of the good promises which The Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” In the original language, the word ‘dabar‘ in Hebrew can mean promise, but it means so much more. It means to speak, declare, command, converse, warn, threaten and/or sing. All things our mouth and tongue do in coordination. Also, in Luke chapter 1, the events of Gabriel coming to Mary to inform her that she will carry the holy Child, it is written that “nothing will be impossible with God.” Her response….”may it be done to me according to your word.”
There is no one off verse that points to this truth. It is weaved throughout the whole of Scripture like a thread woven throughout a tapestry. Isaiah even shares this truth when he wrote in chapter 55 that the word of God which goes forth will not return void or empty, but it will accomplish the the desire and will of God. Again, since we are created in His image as a three part being like the Father (soul), Son (body), and Holy Spirit (spirit), do we recognize the power in our tongue?
But, now, at this point, I need to ask another question? WHY?? Why do we speak the words that we do? Why do words that do not bring life come pouring out of our mouths? Why is it that the tongue is unstable? Why is it that even when we have accepted Jesus as The Christ, The Messiah, and claim Him as Savior that we can still have both blessing and cursing come forth?
I ask this because, personally, there was a point in my life that I understood all of the above and knew I needed to speak words of life. To be uplifting and encouraging. To speak the truth in love. Truthfully, I could not do it on my own. I began to realize that I was ‘doing a work’, but in the wrong order. I could not train my tongue with out asking myself the question(s) of why. I needed to go deeper to find out the reason my words could be so vile and evil. That is when I felt the Lord lead me to Proverbs, especially, Chapter 4 verses 23 and 24. It is written, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you.” Oh, I had heard this verse multiple times, read it multiple times. But it was not until I read it in multiple versions and studied it that I began to have understanding. In the Complete Jewish Bible, it reads, “Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences. Keep crooked speech out of your mouth, banish deceit from your lips.” Our words actually betray us by revealing what is in our heart or soul. It is a heart issue. Just changing our words isn’t going to get to the root of the matter.
There is a progression here. We need to look after our heart first! For out of it comes the words that we speak. When you look back to the original Hebrew language, we learn that the word for heart is “leb or lev”. It means inner man or soul! The part of us that is our mind (intellect), will and emotions. Our THOUGHT LIFE! Of course, our words are formed by our thoughts. So setting a guard over our mouths is not as easy as just watching what we say. And yes, we need to pause first and think about what we are going to say. There’s suggestion out there about a checklist to go through before you speak that goes something like is it true, necessary, and kind. Stuff like that and yeah, I am probably missing some things. However, is that really what we need? Another checklist? Another check this box and that box before we do or say anything? Isn’t there more to this?? I believe that answer is yes, absolutely!
Let me say this first, I don’t think a checklist is horrible. It may be used as tool to begin a good habit. But we cannot stop there.
Apparently, our thought life is crucial to the words we speak bringing life or death. Again, let’s ask the question, “why?” Why would our thoughts bring forth such words when we are made in the image of God? Here, we have to go to where our thoughts originate, which Proverbs describes as our souls. What is our soul? And what could have occurred that it would have thoughts that are not life-giving?
Life happens, right? Life with all of it’s ups and downs, victories and defeats, successes and failures, and so much more. Trials, tribulations, and traumas. Milestones. Dreams. Not one of us is exempt. We live in a fallen world. It is not a utopia. All those things in life have a deep affect on who we are, who we have become. Our life experiences are as different as our fingerprint. No one the same. All of this has affected our soul. Our mind. Our will. Our emotions. Therefore our beliefs!! Oh, but God and His mercy. We are not the sum total of our past, but it has certainly impacted us one way or another. However, we do not need to stay there. If words have created negative or unhealthy ‘worlds’ in our minds, God can change that for us. How? How do we go about changing this? How do we change our beliefs, therefore our thoughts and in turn our words?
Remember in John 2, John writes that God knows what is in our hearts (vs. 24-35). He sees. He knows. Because He has been with us from the beginning. He has been with us through it all. He came to set us free. Freedom from all that binds us. You may have heard the phrase, ‘hurt (adjective) people hurt (verb) people’. Our soul needs changing…. healing….FREEDOM! Our “inner man” needs healing. Needs to be touched by God and the truth that He speaks. We need to let Him speak to us. We need to let Him in so He can bring forth the necessary change of ‘heart’. We need His words to cancel all those negative words or curses spoken over us by overs and ourselves. We need to come out of agreement with words that are not what He says about us. We need to believe that we are truly His son/daughter having accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Not just think it or say it, but believe it. Deep down inside, believe it. Our beliefs are what keep us anchored when life gets tumultuous and the waves of life want to toss us to and fro. If we continue on with life, hearing and listening to the negative words spoken to us and over us throughout our lives and continue to believe those words, we end up aligning our souls with very thing. Then our thoughts and beliefs are not aligned with God’s thoughts toward us.
My challenge would be to go and dig in. Dig into The Word of God and see what can be found about what He says about you. Search for what He has done for you that allows for you to be called His son or daughter. Start writing out a list that helps you develop a firm foundation of your beliefs in who He says you are! Commit them to heart and watch the change over time of your beliefs, your thoughts and your words. And let Him have the last word over your life, over your soul. Where there has been deep soul wounds created by words, let Holy Spirit be the healing balm, speaking life into those areas that have only brought death or destruction.
You will start to see the miraculous transformation from slavery to sonship. This lifelong process will not only steady you in the storms of life, but also bring you closer and deeper into an intimate relationship with your Creator and all that He has for you.
“Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” Jeremiah 15:19-21
At the end of 2020, I had this notion of pairing wine and oil together as gift for Christmas. Along with this pairing, I wrote to those receiving the gift, “This year, 2020, has been one of testing with incredible highs and lows. It is as if everything that could be shaken was being shaken. Yet, The Kingdom of God still stands. Hallelujah! Praise be to God !! It is also as if the world itself is being pressed, nations are being pressed (Israel, USA, etc.). States are being pressed, The Church is being pressed and we are being pressed. Having been in Israel last December, in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the Garden Tomb, where an unused wine press is present, I couldn’t think of better gifts this year. In the Garden of Gethsemane (there) stand ancient olive trees, where Jesus cried out as He Himself was being “pressed” (crushed) for us. Then there is the unused wine press depicting the new wine, a new covenant that brings us life…..abundantly. As everything around us shakes, rattles and rolls, let us continue on in our Hope and our Joy, not only now, in this season, but everyday throughout the year. Living….living this beautiful life in Him, by Him and through Him!! Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!! Glory be to God!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”
Looking back, I can now see that the shaking was just beginning. The testing(s) would intensify. The pressing would only continue. Only if you would in turn keep pressing in. Inviting it. Allowing it. Doing our part in working out our salvation with fear (of the the Lord) and trembling (shaking). [Philip. 2:12]
Allowing ourselves to go through the narrow place. The hard and difficult place. Think of Balaam in Numbers 22-24. It was requested of him to curse those people that had come up out of Egypt because they were so numerous that they covered the earth. God spoke to Balaam and told him not to go with those that had come and asked for him to curse the people. Cutting to the chase here, let’s focus on Balaam saddling up his donkey and going anyway. In Numbers 22: 24, it is written, “then the angel of the Lord stood in the path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.” This is where the donkey pressed into the wall. Thus pressing or as I imagine pinning Balaam’s foot between the donkey and the wall causing Balaam to strike the donkey. Further into this chapter, we read that the angel of the Lord stood in the narrow place where there was no turning to the right or the left.
I want to look at this word “narrow.” In the Hebrew, it is sar; pronounced tsar. The meaning is narrow or tight, straits or distress, and hard pebble or flint. This makes me think of being between a rock and a hard place so to speak. A place where there is no turning. No ability to turn to the right or the left. A place where you can only go forward or backward. A tight place, as in a birth canal. A place where you can only go forward by pressing on. The Hebrew word is also used for tribulation, adversary(s), enemies, foes, and oppressors.
When I was thinking about gifting the pair of wine and olive oil in 2020, there was a thought that kept coming to me, “what comes out of you when you are being pressed?” The more I contemplated that thought, my desire was more in line with “who comes out of you when being pressed/crushed?” My desire is for the answer to be the spirit of Jesus Christ. It certainly is not always the case. I still have some really off days, but I pray to that end. May He be what comes out of me, not only in the good times, but the hard times and places. In the narrow place, may His character in me be my goal.
As I was digging into this word “narrow”, I began to wonder if there was any connection to the use of it by Jesus Himself. In Matthew 7:13-14, it is written, as His words, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is board that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Jesus would now the whole of the Old Testament. Could He be referencing it here? The New Testament is written in Greek and the word for narrow here is thlibo. It means to press (as grapes), press hard upon; a compressed way (narrow, straightened, contracted); or to trouble, afflict, or distress. Even to suffer tribulation.
A wide gate would be one where you can turn to the right or left and go your own way. This would be a way that leads to destruction. It is the narrow gate that leads to life! What leads us to life? Pressing! Crushing!! This Scripture also tells us few will find it. WHY? Why will so few find it? Are we believing things things that are itching ears want to hear? Are we believing our Christian life is supposed to be easy? Not hard?
Yes, God wants to bless us. He delights in us, as His children. But as parents ourselves, have we not seen or experienced what takes place in our children’s lives when they are cuddled and not permitted to endure hardships? I wrote this before and it is worth restating. We are to grow up in the Lord. This is not about being comfortable. It is about being moldable. Being molded into His image. The One Who bore the crown of thrones. The One Who endured the slashes and scourging. The One Who hung on The Cross. This is going to be hard. “Count (consider) it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-3
Let us embrace the narrow place! Let us enter through the narrow gate! For He is the way, the truth and the life, as Jesus stated in John 14. He is the narrow way to the Father. He continued with “no one comes to the Father but through me.”
I believe that His grace is sufficient for us. For His grace is costly. It cost Him His life. That grace empowers us to go through that narrow place. It empowers us to overcome the testing, the pressing and crushing so that His Spirit in us flows out. His wine. His oil.
When that pressing comes, let us not be so quick to want it to go. I know it isn’t easy. I have been there. Been pressed. Our time living full time in 350 square feet has brought it’s fair share of pressing. Pressing through crazy weather events. Pressing through mechanical issues. Pressing through such close proximity with one another and not having our own space to process. Pressing through confrontations. Pressing through being more uncomfortable than ever. Pressing through letting go of every thing, literally. However, it is coming through the pressing changed. Different. How are you being pressed? May the pressing not cause us to take our eyes off of Him, but instead, lock eyes with Him in order to endure it and come out prayerfully and hopefully, more like Him.
I pray that the pressing does not cause you to go backwards and retreat. Don’t allow fear to overcome you. Remember WHO is with you through the pressing. There is nothing that you endure that He has not. Embrace the pressing as it brings you into closer proximity to The One we are to become like. Again, let us embrace the narrow place! The tight place that wants to birth something new and different in you…..more of HIM!!
Tomorrow marks a week. A week ago, a significant shift occurred. My husband and I were traveling, meeting family in a popular southern city filled with hospitality and charm. On our way, we had the news on, listening to the “changing of the guard.” I quoted that because I had a dear friend later write to me, with incredible excitement, “there has been a changing of the guard.” That phrase dropped into her spirit during the Presidential Inauguration. She asked me if I felt it and if I was excited. Yes, I felt it and her statement and questioning was just increasing my excitement. I felt it in my bones and spirit. Even as I am typing this, it is firing back up. Since then, there have even been others to use the same phrase. “Changing of the guard.” Do you sense it? In your inner man, can you feel it? Feel it burning deep within?!?!? Come on, get excited! Let your heart be on fire for what God is doing!! Holy Spirit fan that flame!
So many of us have been experiencing the fire of purification and so much more. And we have pressed into it, allowing it to burn away the dross and MORE. The first five years of this decade have been one of cleansing for this appointed time. But now that fire deep within is still burning and can no longer be contained. His fire that I pray we allow ourselves to become accustom to. That it stays with us. Holy Spirit FIRE! Hearts ablaze with HIM!
What we experience in the natural realm also occurs in the spirit realm and vice versa. God speaks/informs us what is taking place or is to take place in this way. The Word of God tells to know the times and the seasons. How do we know the times and seasons? But by paying close attention what is going on in the world. Not to be obsessed with it, but to be alert. To remain alert. To be engaged with the realm we live in and the one we are a part of when we are His. We cannot and should not be like ostriches with our heads in the sand hiding. There are more events happening than ever before indicating we are in what the Bible refers to as the ‘last days’ or the ‘end times’. This should cause us to read and study as much as possible about it in the Word of God. Not to produce fear, but fire!
Fire of excitement. Hearts on fire with excitement, which is exactly what occurred a week ago with the “changing of the guard.” We are living in exciting times.
What does this changing of the guard look like? I believe those that had been in authority represented an elite faction. Those that put themselves in authority and high places. Many may argue the point, but I do believe the election in the USA in 2020 was fraudulent. And what just took place was confirmation for me. The elite faction was removed last week and the ELECT-ed was put in place. God is removing the elite and has been and will continue to. Those that have raised themselves up and taken authority in so many areas….in ministry, business, politics and more. On the very same day last week, the CEO of Planned Parenthood passed. To quote my dear friend more, she wrote, “Not only has there been corruption in our government, but there has been corruption in God’s government.” So many corrupt governments are being dealt with. Be very careful about titles. God called Abram a prophet. Abram did not take that title for himself. Nor did man. This is a time and season that is not about titles. How are you dealing with what God has given you? Let Him be the One to raise you up.
NOW is the time! Time for the elect to rise. HIS elect. To rise up on wings like eagles. To come up higher to the place God has for you. To take the place of your destiny. Resting in Him to do it. Remember, Exodus 20:20 for this decade! A decade of awe and reverence….The Fear of THE LORD!! This is where we need to be. Where we must be to in order to remain humble and not allow pride or ego or fear of man to come in. We are called “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10
The Presidential Inauguration also took place on Martin Luther King day. I do not think was a coincidence. I truly believe that God is tells us we need to take our place as kings and priests in order to take territory for His KINGDOM!! The excitement is tangible and hope deferred is no more. In Genesis 14, Abram is given the promise after Melchizdek king of Salem meets with him. What has God spoken to you about? What has He shown you or promised you that still hasn’t come about? Could it be that now is the time?
May the GRACE of God be with you! Hope in HIM because He is our Hope.
Midway through a decade! A decade that began with Exodus 20:20….“Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”” A decade of reverence and awe!
As I sit here and type, I am in awe of what God has done and continues to do in me. Keeping me, hemming me in and continuing to draw me to Himself even when I seem to fail or fall and when I actually do. His desire for all of me is more than my desire for all of Him. It will always be that way. I am not God. I cannot be God. God is so much more than! When I come to a place of more revelation of Him, there will always be more….for He is God!! My heart’s desire is for Him and to be fully yielded. This lifelong process of yielding…of crucifying the flesh, dying to self and cleansing the soul.
Reflecting back on the last half of a decade with more change than I could have ever begun to imagine, I see Him. I see Him leading and guiding me. Guiding me through the valleys and over the mountain tops. Some times He is so tangibly close and others I have had to wonder if I had gone astray, only to realize He is always there. ALWAYS! Always faithful. Trustworthy and true.
July 2022, God had given me a vision. A vision of an eagle, bald eagle to be exact, caught in a snare trap. The trap, however, was being cut free. At the same time, there was this steady rhythm that I heard. When I asked the Lord what that sound was, the word “cadence” dropped into my spirit. Like that of a marching band. Obviously, there is a quick correlation to freedom or liberty regarding the bald eagle. But what was the meaning of this vision and sound? As I did some research I found that during the Civil War there was a specific drum used called an eagle snare drum by the Union army of the North. This drum was used to make a sound…..a cadence! It was used to inform the soldiers of how and when to maneuver, as well as to keep the unit together. A very significant victory during the Civil War for the Union using this technique was at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.
Our true ‘north’, like the north star used for navigation, is God Himself. We need to seek to be in union with Him alone and in rhythm with Him. Like the sound of heaven. Eyes on Him and then freedom from the things that have kept you bound will be loosed.
In the beginning of 2023, I began to see eagle’s….bald eagles. I had only ever seen them decades ago in Alaska, and then it was only a few. These sightings lasted into 2024 and I started to loose count after 16. Most were soaring. Some were in trees. I even caught a couple on the ground, where it appeared as though they had been teaching young to fly. Some sights were at a distance, while others was close up. It was my first sighting that was the closest. I was driving home from the store when a notice a pair. One was up higher and the other came so low and flew directly over my car. I could see it’s yellow beak and feet. It was an incredible sight. I was seeing them all over the eastern part of the US, as we traveled throughout the states.
The first sighting lead me to the Scriptures of eagles…..
Psalm 103:4-5, “Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
Isaiah 40:27-31, “Who do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God?” 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. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; Thy shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Deuteronomy 32:10-12, “He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.”
Knowing from Scripture that one of the four creatures in the Throne Room has a face of an eagle, I decided to study some of the characteristics of an eagle. So much to learn, but one thing really stood out to me, the sight of an eagle. Most humans have 20/20 vision, eagles have 20/5 vision. Therefore, what we can see clearly at 5 feet, an eagle can see just as clearly at 20 feet. Have you ever considered why the Lord would encourage us to come up higher? Or grow up in Him? What could we see with eagle like vision at a higher perspective? His perspective. A perspective that is high above all the chaos, confusion and darkness. Less distraction. Personally, I don’t think I can accomplish that without the secret place with Him. Could this vision or clarity be associated with this year, if we are willing to develop our secret place more? I don’t know for sure, but a few things just recently happened to me personally that have reminded me of the eagle and brought me back to all this.
The last few years have been somewhat of a wilderness for me, for sure. Would I change it if I could? No way. The Lord allowed it for me to learn to lean into Him more. To rest in Him. To cease striving and to be still and know that He is God! To seek Him first in that secret place. To love the Truth. To stand….stand firm. He is my firm foundation. He is trustworthy. He allows things to come that will help refine. I do not want to be who I once was. I want to continue to grow and change to become more like Him. May I look at every situation and circumstance as something to learn from. These last few years I have gained more. Gained more wisdom, understanding, knowledge and fear of the Lord. Yet, I certainly have not ‘arrived’, never will. There will always be more to gain. The greatest gain is coming to know God more and allowing Him to search me and know me more.
It is now 2025. On the Hebraic calendar, it is 5785, which began in October. One thing, I have learned in the last 5 years is the significance of numbers in Hebrew. Since it was a year being bookended in 5’s, I wanted to consider how important that may be. When considering the meaning of numbers, there is a belief that 5 represents grace. It is written that this is seen throughout the Scriptures referring to God clothing Adam and Eve, to the five stone used by David to slew Goliath, etc. Here, I just kind of said, “okay, I don’t quite see it but I will go with it.” Why? Because as soon as I learned that 5 represented grace, I heard in my spirit, “grace upon grace.” That led me directly to John 1:15-16, “John witnessed concerning Him when he cried out, “This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘The One coming after me has come to rank ahead of me, because he existed before me.'” We all receive from His fullness, yes grace upon grace.” Immediately, I had sense that this year would be a year of grace upon grace. I find it interesting that if you add up 5+7+8+5, it equals 25. And 5X5 also equals 25…..grace upon grace or grace X grace = greater grace.
However, I have struggled for quite some time with the definition of grace by man. So, I set out to do some digging. Recall my suggestion to dig like you were searching for treasure because God does not hide things to keep them hidden, but for us to seek them like hidden treasures? Yeah, that’s what I set out to do. Actually, I began the dig back in late August, early September 2024. A month prior to 5785 arriving. First, I learned that October was a significant month in that all four Hebrew Fall Feasts occurred. Due to the Hebraic calendar differing from the one we all follow, the Gregorian calendar, this is not a common occurrence. I believe this year will be uncommon or unusual. I have been asking myself some of the following question. Why would it need to be a year with greater grace or a year of grace upon grace? Either way, I am grateful. To be aware of this will definitely aid in navigating the year ahead. Is the why has important as the Who is the giver of that grace?
5785 in the Strong’s concordance is owr (ore); skin (as naked); by implication, hide as in leather. I read that and thought, John the Baptist, who was quoted in John 1:15. Now, I reminded myself 80 (the decade) is the Hebrew letter pey/pei, which is represented in the ancient Hebrew pictograph as an open ‘mouth.’ It is the 17th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has the numerical value of 80. Okay, so what is the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet or do any letters hold 5 as it’s numerical value? Yes, hey/hei, which is represented by a pictograph of a stick figure with arms raised, meaning ‘behold’. In Hebrew, the year 5785 is written from right to left as 5, 80, 300, 400, and an understood 5000. the letters would be Tav, shin, pey, hey. In pictographs it would be a cross, a crown or teeth, open mouth, and behold. Just let that sink in awhile.
Now, the Hebrew word for grace is CHEN made up of the letters chet and nun. The pictograph for the letter chet is a fence and it means to surround and/or protect. The letter nun is a pictograph of a fish meaning to sustain or life. Another Hebrew word for grace is CHANNAH written with the letters chet, nun, hey. Since the nun appears in the middle of the word, it is “bent.” I perceive this as being humble. So, fence surrounding and protecting life while beholding. Thinking through this I believe grace to be a place where we are surrounded and protected (fenced in) as His children, provided for or sustained for life, as we behold Him….being in awe and reverence of Him and thus empowered. A significant verse about grace is found in Lamentations 3:22, “The grace of the Lord has not ceased; His compassion does not fail.” From the passage, many greet others by saying, “May the grace of God be with you.” Such an incredibly powerful greeting! It is like saying, “May the place where God provides and protects for life surround you and be a fence of protection that does not cease or fail.”
The image I get is an encampment, similar to the wagon trains going across the wild west of America or even the encampment of the Israelites while in their wilderness journey. The tents or wagons would form a tight circle with no gaps so there was no exposed entry to foreigners or outsiders. Literally using their tents as a fence in order to protect life. Then, I am reminded of the specific layout of the encampment of the twelve tribes of Israel. What was at the center? The Tabernacle of Moses. The Tent of Meeting. The place where God would “pitch His tent” and abide with them. It sounds like a sanctuary or a refuge.
ABIDING INTIMACY……the secret place. May the grace for the wilderness, which some of us are coming out of, now be the grace for the fulfillment of the promise. Grace upon grace. The wilderness that prepares also empowers you for the promise. May the grace of God be with you throughout 2025!
If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend the movie, “Bonhoffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.” I do get the feeling it could have been more compelling. There were subtle hints to his deep convictions that could have been missed. But, it’s a movie after all. It does make me more curious about the life of the man. A life of one who challenged the difference between religion and Christ and when under persecution stood firm. His life contains so many excellent quotes (note: some are not verified, yet, all over the internet as his). However, there’s one that stands out…..“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
A great movie should not just be entertaining or about a social injustice that needs attention; it should point us to Jesus Christ. Christ rather than religion. Religion is more about comfort (yes, I wrote ‘comfort’) than death. Religion just checks the boxes. There’s no real sacrifice. No death. Death to oneself. Death to flesh. Death to reputation. Death to sin. Death of any kind is uncomfortable. It is letting go. Letting go of those things that bind us and keep us captive. Letting go of mindsets. Yet at the same time, it is an invitation to Christ. To a relationship with Him. To Life. True life. Real life giving life. To freedom. To mercy, forgiveness, grace, peace, love, joy, hope and so much more! A relationship. A covenant relationship.
Bonhoffer’s quote refers to dying to self , which is found multiple places throughout Scripture including Galatians 2:20. But what in the world does it look like? Didn’t Christ come to give us an abundant life? Yes, He did. [Read John 10, all of it.] Then, ask yourself, what does an abundant life look like? I will say this, from my own personal experience, I do not think we can define it by our Western thinking. Honestly, defining anything with that mindset is not going to bring us closer to the truth. For me, an abundant life has nothing to do with things that this world has to offer. In it’s more accurate translation, it would mean to have life to the fullest measure. Life with Christ. An uncommon life, where the circumstances around you don’t rob you of all that He is and has granted to you as His.
Recently, I heard a Lou Engle say, “We have taught a generation to feast and play, but the times demand we fast and pray.” Guilty as charged. And I would add that generations have been taught that way, not just one. A deep abiding relationship will yield fasting and praying because of a life touched deeply by His mercy and grace, and oh so much more. That life will demonstrate it to others. My desire is for my life to be an example of a journey growing up in Him and into the mature daughter He created me to be. To fulfill my destiny as His.
Dying to self and living life to the fullest are not once and done. It is a life long process of growing up into Christ. Growing in our relationship with Him. Developing any relationship takes time, energy and sacrifice. Another reason why digging into The Word is so vital. The Word teaches us His character and nature that is unchanging.
Every single author in the Word of God was Jewish. They were not Greek. They were not European or American. They were from the land of Israel. A land teeming with more history than our minds can comprehend. Hebrews with an understanding of their ways, customs and thinking. Western thinking is more along the lines of reasoning. It’s much more linear than the Hebraic mindsets of the authors of Scripture, which tends to be more cyclical. The more I have studied the Word, the more this has come to light for me. The cycles and repeated patterns. The parallelism throughout the whole Scripture is incredible. This is one reason we are to rightly divide the Word or ……..
“Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of Truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 CJB
Here, the Greek word used in this New Testament Scripture is orthotomeo (G3718 in the Strong’s Concordance) meaning ‘to cut straight (ways)’. A phrase that I recall from childhood, ‘cut straight a way’ meaning get to the point. In the Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, G3718 can mean to teach the truth correctly and directly. To teach it, one should be in The Word and studying it with God Himself. Invite Him into your study, ask Him the questions that arise and wait on Him. He has guided me to make connections throughout Scripture that I would not have done on my own. Let Him be your Guide! If you are studying a chapter in Scripture and another Scripture comes to mind, go with it. See if there is any connection. That one coming to mind, may just be Him leading you. Once, I heard a wise teacher say that do not need another interpretation, but a revelation. Let God reveal the Word of Truth to you. The depth of it will be astounding. I will warn you that this takes getting ‘you’ out of the way. Your thoughts, your mind, your will and your emotions need to be set aside for you to clearly grasp the deep truth He has for us. Like dying to self and living a life to the fullest measure. I believe that this kind of life is one unburden and truly free.
For me personally, the freedom from wrong thinking and false teachings have been like chains falling off and clattering to ground. It has also granted me more clarity on the nature and character of God. If we think or believe we know Him, but are not seeking Him first including in His Word, we are amiss and only fooling ourselves. Earlier this year, I read the Book of Songs (Song of Songs or Song of Solomon) with a whole new set of eyes and ears, along with a heart of understanding. The journey was incredible. It was like an invitation to grow up alongside the bride in the book. To take a look of deep reflection of how far I had come, in addition to where I was on my journey with Him and where I want to be. A book with such deep revelation when you are willing to walk through it with Him. One that describes counting the cost as I willingly consecrate myself to Him drawing me to Him and running together. As we allow ourselves to be drawn by Him, may our spiritual hunger increase and only be satisfied by Him alone.
We learn the progression of maturity in the bride from chapter 3:16, where she states, “My beloved is mine, and I am his….” to “I am my beloved’s and beloved is mine…” (6:3) to “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me. (7:10)” The Lord is now, her all in all. She in no longer working for Him but with Him. Let this be me Lord! Instead of her trying to possess the Lord, she has allowed herself to be possessed. In the final chapter, she has come to a place of maturity (stable and strong enough) where she is truly ready to help others with a pure heart motive. The movie depicts a similar progression as the immature Bonhoffer grows up in the Lord, until he unwaveringly lays down his life for Him.
Over two years! Honestly, a little too long and now, I’m a bit rusty at this. These last four or more years have been ‘more than’. More than on so many levels. So many life changes, I do not care to keep tally. Both good and bad, according to our flesh. But all in all, necessary. I will get into that later.
Truthfully, I am not here to make this blog. I am not here to make it look spectacular or gain likes or comments, but just to put it out there for God to use it. I pray He uses it to connect to those it is intended, and for His Glory. It is for Him because what I intend to share is what came from Him. If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that I believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. But that is not enough to just believe. The Bible tells us that even the demons believe. There is more. To confess with our mouths and trust He is Who He says He is. I have confessed with my mouth that He is Lord. The Lord of lords and King of kings. And I have witnessed this in my life, often and repeatedly. With God, there is always more!
I’m here to share a journey with you, the reader. A journey to share what I have gained and learned over the years. One that was not planned by me. One that has brought both heartache and joy. One that has continued to form me and mold me because God forbid I stop growing and changing. I hope and pray that anyone reading this never wants to become stagnant in this life or remain stagnant. Or even think that they have ‘arrived.’ We do not have only one life to live. We were created with eternity in mind. It’s with eternity in mind that I want to challenged. Challenged to not to take something/someone for granted. Challenged to test everything, holding onto what is good and keeping away from what is evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22) I have a part to play in my growing up. Growing up in Christ and becoming a mature child of God. I have a part to play in my sanctification process, so to speak. And a process it is! A process of yielding. Aren’t we to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling according to Philippians 2:12?
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word appropriately spoken.” Proverbs 25:11
This blog is about my journey with Him. My journey of yielding to the sanctification process. I have held back for far too long for fear of criticism and judgement along with the fear of man. Enough is enough. It is time to take a stand because that is what He is asking me to do. What I share may sting a bit from time to time. It may be something to wrestle with and dig into for yourself. I may repeat some of what’s been posted in the past from time to time, but my intention is not to rehash those things. I have had to wrestle with and dig in myself. It is not so easy to do. So many resources out there today. Resources that someone else did the wrestling and digging….the hard stuff.
“A person may plan his path, but Adonai directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 CJB
My journey with the Lord has taken my turns. Each turn has taught me something. With every turn, one thing remained extremely important. To remain in Him! (John 15:4 & 7) To seek Him first! (Matthew 6:33) This, right here, is where we need to chose to be intentional in our lives. Over the years, that seeking did not always look the same. At first, I struggled with that. Shouldn’t it be consistent? Yes! The time should be, but I learned that I needed to allow the Lord to direct how that time was spent with Him. To yield.
For years and years, I journaled. That journaling had become an incredible blessing. When my journaling waned, I thought something was wrong or lacking. The enemy was whispering to me that I was failing. Journaling is a fantastic tool, but that too can become an idol of sorts. I have learned to let it go and journal when prompted by the Lord. Being free and not bound by what I was creating. Being consistent with something forms a habit. Then when that habit becomes rote and rigid, one loses the life and joy originally discovered.
It was in the last four years that my journaling began to decrease, but my time digging increased. Reading the Word of God as if digging for hidden treasure. Studying it. It began around 2020, after visiting Israel in December 2019. I started reading the Bible chronologically and I did this for about three years. The more I dug, the more I wanted to learn. I had a mindset that if God is GOD and truly Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Beginning and the End, which I do absolutely believe, then there is always more to know and learn about Him. The Bible, ALL Scripture, is inspired by God and is valuable for teaching the truth, according to 2 Timothy 3:16. Where else can one go to learn about His nature and character? I want to know the One who created me and has plans for me. My desire is to have eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart of understanding all that He has for me.
I was raised from the late 60’s into the 80’s. This era compelled many to go to college after high school. And so it was for me. Looking back, I can see how the educational system draws us away from the Creator. I didn’t have a firm foundation in the Lord at the time; therefore, education by the world’s standards became a stumbling block to me. I can still see it today evidenced all around me. The pursuit of higher and higher education leading many astray. I did graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. But that meant nothing to me the day my firstborn was placed into my arms. I knew deep down with me that I was created to be a mom. My husband and I longed for the provision for me to become a stay-at-home mom, which finally came when our firstborn was 20 months old. Over the years, I struggled with ‘just being a mom.’ The worldly mindset and pressure to contribute to the provision of the family, the lie that there was so much more. Sadly, this didn’t just come from the world, but also from the Church. The performance mentality of go, go, go and do, do, do. This can also affect us in whatever we do, even a mom. I have had to learn to be content, yet still yearn to grow into who He created me to be. More yielding.
Today, I can say that I am beyond grateful to have been a full time homemaker, a wife and mom because that is what I was created to be. Now, I have the wonderful privilege to be Nonna, a grandmother to a growing family. This lifestyle has been a great aid in allowing me the time with the Lord that I cannot have imagined with a full time or even part time job outside of the home. God has been setting me up in order to able to dig in and dig deep, to challenge for myself the mindsets and doctrines taught. I used to think that one had to have gone to seminary to really know the Bible, to know the Truth. I used to trust the words of pastors and teachers, thinking they knew far more than I. However, today, I have a totally different view. Seminary does not, cannot and should not replace seeking Him first. It may aid in learning what is and has been taught and believed. But there is NO greater resource than God Himself. Jesus even said that He must leave and it was to our advantage in order to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide and teach us. (John 16:7) My husband used to say, “The Word of God should be used to change the world (that includes us), not the world used to change the Word.”
I share this with you to encourage you to dig in for yourself. Get in the Word and let God Himself teach you so you can test everything accordingly. You do not have to go to school. We are called to do the will of God. period. The will of God is NOT complicated! The will of God is to love Him with all your heart, mind (soul) and strength. (Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 22, Mark 12 and Luke 10). THEN, love your neighbor as yourself. These cannot be inverted. We do not have the capacity to love others before loving HIM with everything that we are. If we do, than it is not true love. God is love. (1 John 4:8)
“You, children, are from God and have overcome the false prophets, because HE who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore, they speak the world’s viewpoint; and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God doesn’t listen to us. This is how we distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error. Beloved friends, let us love one another; because love is from God; and everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God. Those who do not love, do know know God; because God is love.” 1 John 4:4-8 CJB
It would be wise of us to define love by the Word of God and not by the world’s standards or definition, since God is love. To do that, we must be in the Word and of the Word. We are not to conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we will know the will of God. Simply cannot do that without studying the Word for ourselves. May I suggest doing a devotion without the input of someone else or another book? Just you, the Word of God and God Himself! He may want to reveal to you something that you have learned from others that is inaccurate. He may want to cleanse you of false teachings and doctrines that have taken root that need to be uprooted. This is exactly what He has been doing in me. This is where the heartache and joy mentioned previously have been. It has not been easy, but oh so worth it. There has been pain, but like childbirth, the result is ‘more than’. Again, yielding.
Once, at a conference, I had someone I didn’t know approach me and tell me that there was a significance to the places I grew up. Very specifically, the street names. I began my life in an apartment on 5th Street, moved to Church Street and then to Liberty Avenue. This brief encounter with someone I didn’t know has become a signpost for me in my life. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure what the message meant. It has taken yielding and studying to gain understanding. It has been a process of pruning, purging, and purifying. This process has been and will continue to be unending.
I am here, now because the Lord has impressed upon me a warning. It was a personal warning based in Ezekiel 33 that I must warn. I must sound the trumpet.
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.” verse 6
And that will be the purpose of this blog. I am sounding an alarm based on what the Lord has shown me and taught me in the last four or more years. Will you take this journey with me?
Anchored 