Hello everyone,
I have prayed that you were encouraged with the message about hope during Sunday’s live stream worship service. It is the first in a new messages series for this season in which we find ourselves.
Don’t forget! WE CAN DO THIS … in the One who gives us strength. Amen!
So, here we are, two down and … well, who really knows how many to go, but we can do this, because of the strength we have in Jesus Christ. That strength is supernatural … it may not feel like that sometimes, but it is – later on, after some great testing time I have found myself trying to work out how on earth I got through it all, and so well. (Ask my wife, I say it all the time!). I know it is not my amazing skills set, or awesome wisdom – I know it is not any of that! Something more was at work in me that I only noticed, (or often have noticed) after the season has ended. It was God’s strength at work in me, as I mentioned in the last update from Philippians 4:13. We don’t always realise it at the time …This strength is a combination of divine elements – hope, grace, anointing, peace, confidence, love, joy, the promises of God, and so on – all these could sum up the strength we have in the Lord. Divine power! That is pretty awesome! That is an enormous amount of clout to have in any of our life situations. This is the strength reservoir from which is released to the people of God by faith all they will ever need for holy living (which is living God’s way on earth). We simply trust in His holy and faithful character and His strength, in whatever appropriate manifestation, is released to us personally.
Have a look at this Scripture …2 Peter 1:3 “[God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
Yeah, but … what if I feel as if this not happening for me right now? What if I am feeling as though I don’t have this strength right now? What if I am feeling like I’ve run out of this strength and feel like I cannot crank up any more of it? Well, you can’t crank it up – that’s the point. No one can. God gives it to us by grace. We have to receive it … by faith. How? Take a look at this Scripture …
Isaiah 40:28-31 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
There it is! Strength (in all its elemental configurations and infusions) is released to us … when we will humble ourselves and wait upon the Lord in prayer … trusting His mighty and holy name. Actually, the Hebrew text here says that those who wait upon the Lord will “exchange their strength, for the Lord’s strength”. “Father, I need to do a swap right here, your strength for my very small strength … and I am waiting on you in quiet faith and confidence, because I am your beloved and I will trust Your promises, until that strength is released to me …”This is how I often pray, my friends.The secret of this divine exchange is in such waiting upon our heavenly Father in faithful, humble expectation.
WE CAN DO THIS!
“Want to see Your Face”
Lord, I want to see You,
Be near You, with You.
Lord, I want to see Your magnificent face,
Gaze into that majesty,
Know the richness of Your grace,
And, finally and truly know … who I really am.
Lord, I want to see Your face,
Want to come into Your presence,
Want Your grace to soak me through and through,
Want to fully, deeply know Your love, Your essence,
Want to be near You, with You.
Lord, I want to see Your face,
Can’t live without Your power,
Can’t know without Your wisdom,
Can’t move without Your leading,
You’re my strong tower!
Lord, I want to see Your face,
And just be with You, and You with me!
Lord, I want to see Your glorious face,
To see Your smile, live Your grace!
And see myself reflected in Your countenance.
Lord, I long to see Your marvellous face,
I’m hungry for Your presence!
Desperate for Your touch!
Thirsty for Your fellowship!
So, I’m drawing near to seek …
Lord, I want to see Your face,
And know Your grace attending me.
I’m drawing near to wait upon You,
Fighting through to walk with You,
Reaching up with worship, pressing in with praise,
So need to be with You, Your grace on me!
Lord, when I close my eyes one final time,
When carried by death’s sleep from this broken, hurting place,
I desire one thing and one thing only when I wake:
To see Your glorious, wonderful face,
To see personified, to finally grasp, to touch, the fullness of Your grace.”
(July 4th, 2014)
Psalms 17:15 (Of David) “As for me, I will be vindicated and will see Your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.”
You are dearly, dearly loved.
Ps Milton