Someone do it for me: Chapter 17

Simple6

Hello Dear Friends,

As I read about the Isrealites not taking responsibility I begin to ask myself what is my responsibility? I heard the Holy Spirit say, "Wrong person to ask!" My heart was convicted. See, when I asked myself that question, I answered it and often the answer was wrong. God has the right answer 100 % of the time, so He is who I need to be asking. So I have stopped asking myself and have started asking God. Much better answers and much better results. My life has improved greatly. I am not over burdened with too much responsibility or stuck in a place because I have taken too little responsibility. Another words, I am growing and moving.

Lately, it has been, "Lord, please show me my part of this journey to health. Show me how to take responsibility for the things you would have me take responsibility for." This has relieved me so much. It helps me to release my opinion of how I think it should look, but it also brings my focus off my way of doing it and seeing it and puts it on God's ability. I love that for God's ability is amazing!

Joyce writes: "To be responsible is to respond to the opportunities that God has placed in front of you." There are so many opportunities, both good and bad in my life. One of them is the opportunity to be stressed about how long my body is taking to loose weight. This is my opportunity to trust God or trust Jenni. I must choose. The bible clearly states in John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled......." I have power over my heart's state of being. When stress or discouragement rises up, I need to take the responsibility that God has given me to see the victory. It is my job to not let my heart be troubled. How? By trusting Jesus. But what does this look like?

I am trusting Him with this journey of becoming healthy. Faith comes by hearing His word. So I am searching His word and allowing Him to transform my mind. So when agitation rises up concerning any area of life, I have a choice. I usually respond by getting all fretful and agitated. But now I am learning that as I seek God in the moment and speak out His word so I can hear it faith is built up in me. As I listen and believe, my heart returns to it's place of peace, firmly trusting in Jesus.

His job is to transform me but it is my responsibility to read and apply His word. So when trouble comes, and it most assuredly will, I will be able to give permission for my emotions and mind to remain in His peace instead of allowing them to run wild with agitation and fear. He has been teaching me how to take responsibility. His responsibility empowers me and allows me victory.

Here is my prayer:

Lord,

I just pray for all who are reading this, that You would teach them what their individual responsibilities are. Especially, for those of us who are in trial. That every place we are out of balance that you would just rotate our hearts and bring it into alignment with You and your word. Help us only to take the responsibility that You have purposed for our lives. Help us to lay down everything else. Thank you for transforming us all as we seek your face and trust in You. Also for empowering us to walk in authority over our emotions and thoughts. In Jesus Name, Amen.

jaajh

Jenni wrote:

"Here is my prayer:

Lord,

I just pray for all who are reading this, that You would teach them what their individual responsibilities are. Especially, for those of us who are in trial. That every place we are out of balance that you would just rotate our hearts and bring it into alignment with You and your word. Help us only to take the responsibility that You have purposed for our lives. Help us to lay down everything else. Thank you for transforming us all as we seek your face and trust in You. Also for empowering us to walk in authority over our emotions and thoughts. In Jesus Name, Amen."
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Jenni - Thank you SO MUCH for that prayer. I really needed to read (and pray) that this morning!

When I read the chapter 17 yesterday, I was struck particularly by the first few paragraphs, where Joyce was talking about how Abraham's father did not carry on to the Promised Land, but settled down before reaching the goal. She pointed out that we often don't finish what we have started and don't follow through on our responsibilities. I felt SO challenged!

Right now I am in phase of trying to "finish well". I have been here in Mali for 17 years. I might have another 17 months here (due to return to UK in July 2014) OR I might just have a week or so (although the situation is looking more calm at the moment, so there is more hope that we could stay!) In all this I have realised how MUCH I have started, and how much there is still to finish. So this word from Joyce to look at our responsibilities was timely.

BUT then your prayer came this morning (at least, I read it this morning), and having prayed it for myself, I see that God is telling me that YES, he wants me to be responsible, and YES there are things I need to finish. However, I need His wisdom and His guidance to know what things HE is asking us to be responsible for and to know how to "lay down those other things".

So thank you Jenni, for pointing this out, and thank you Holy Spirit for speaking to my heart, soul and mind this morning! Now to pray and be led.....

Have a great week my friends!

Simple6

Dearest Ali,

That part about Abraham's father hit my heart too. In fact I went in and studied it. What I found was God didn't direct Abraham to leave until Terah had died.

Genesis 11:31-32(AMP)

31 And Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together to go from Ur of the Chaldees into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there.

32 And Terah lived 205 years; and Terah died in Haran.

Genesis 12:1
Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.

So, I am not sure if Terah was called to the Promise Land or not but I am sure that we all are called to "places or lands of Promise" that He has for us. That we have to press on and not settle. For me, It is often very easy for me to settle where I am. I am learning to like change(said in pure faith :bigsmile: ). Change unsettles me, it often opens the door for my heart to be troubled. So, I am learning that I have power over my heart being troubled and therefore the ability to face change. I am also learning how to balance that. My natural tendency is to go too far. Even in responsibility. So, this lesson was so good because it allowed me to ask the Lord what He wanted me to be responsible for.

When I read you post, it helped me to remember that my goal is to seek Him first as I meet the demands of my life. It immediately brought me back to a place of balance. Ali, you so inspire me. I see how you deal with all the responsibility in your life and the demands and I am greatly encouraged. I see how hard it is, I can only imagine the wear and tare of constant uncertainty and still you are a woman of faith. Not only are you walking it out but you are encouraging me and many others. You touch my life and help me so much.

You are so right! You wrote " I need His wisdom and His guidance to know what things HE is asking us to be responsible for and to know how to "lay down those other things." Thank you, dear friend for ministering to our hearts by sharing yours.

By faith, I am just declaring that we all are great castors......we cast our cares on Him(even those cares over what things we should do and when and for how long. Also the things we shouldn't continue with. We take on His yoke. Because His yoke is light, we float through this week....more than able to meet the demands because we have His strength, and His direction.

right2b

Ladies, I am writing today what is pressed on my heart....a little bit of chpt.15-18. Love you all!

When you come out of the wilderness, you have knowledge to share. Your insights from what God has brought you through. Store up your treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also. (mat. 6:19-20)
God will take us through the darkest of times in our journey. But it does require for us to use faith. If you were to take a blind fold and place it over your eyes…what you would see is darkness….nothingness. Although, this is where God’s wonder begins….in darkness. It is where the world was formed. It was were light was created. It is required before the heavens can shine with the glory of Heavenly lights…the stars and the moon. It is where Faith directs and God commands His word to perform His will. When you walk in the “eye of faith” it provokes the light to be sown for the righteous. (ps.97:11) and gladness for the upright of heart. How do we do this? It is so hard to step out in faith when we are so conditioned to trust only in what is seen from the past or what we can see at the present.

Here is the key…seeing the invisible. “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Cor.4:18) This is where God operates…in the realm of His Kingdom. He sent Jesus to show us the way to think in Faith, think in His word, think in His purposes for our lives. We are to walk by faith, not by sight. (2Cor.5:7)

So, the answer to how we do this is by trusting in God’s word to supply the faith we need daily to renew our inward man and lead us on to a victorious walk in our life journey. We store up the treasures along the way from the word and this is how He gives us our new mindset…road map. We need to hear God, hear the Holy Spirit, hear what Jesus teaches through the parables.

Like Joyce Meyers states in one of her meetings…”Renew your mind daily. Discipline your mind. “Be ye born again.” Continue a spiritual walk with God. Seek Him not for what He can do for you but because of what He IS! Desire to be in His Presence. Focus on the importance of the “inner life” not the “outer life” appearance. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they were focused on outward appearances. Satan tries to build a stronghold of “cold” love in our hearts. Hardness of heart. But God teaches us to be merciful, long suffering and to bring restoration to people. As with Abraham and Lot…Abraham knew of the dangers of strife. So, how do we surrender our past attitudes and strife’s in relations? We should not think more highly of ourselves but that we should think of ourselves according to the “Grace gifts” that are on our lives. Look for the “Grace gifts” in other people. You will find there is something they can do that you can’t do.”

We can take a positive look at our future because we can see in God’s word the many, many examples of where He was faithful to bring an answer, a healing, a miracle, a provision; a place of rest to His people…His love knows our hearts. We need to not operate in our strength…but give our thinking, our mind, will and emotions to God and operate in His grace.

Be excited for what God is doing on your behalf…even when you can’t see it! Praise Him…because He occupies the praises on His people! Think about that…what a wonderful promise! Satan is a jailer…he likes to keep us from living in the future that God has designed for us. But when we praise God for all things past, present and future...Satan has to leave because Satan is no longer welcomed to worship in the presence of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father…God. Praise Him when you are waiting for your hearts desires. Praise God…evoke His presence in your moment. Bring Him to you…He will be there, He will stand by your side and He will never leave you…never.

Simple6

Zoey,

I loved this. Every part of this is awesome and needs to be read and thought on over and over. "God's wonder begins in darkness." This is so true in my own life. It is in my darkest moments that He shines the brightest. It is also in those moments I see Him the clearest.

I loved "When you walk in the "eye of faith" It provokes the light light to be sown for righteous." Just like the eye of the storm is the calmest place, so is the "eye of faith." This location is Jesus in the midst of the storm. So cool!

I loved " Praise Him when you are waiting for your hearts desires. Praise God…evoke His presence in your moment. Bring Him to you…He will be there, He will stand by your side and He will never leave you…never. " I love, love that praising Him evokes the presence of God in my moment! God is in my moment! I love it.

Thank you for ministering to my heart. I receive it!

Jenni