Beth (B) – Lord what does all look like to you – I judge, opinion on myself instead of resting and believing you have a plan and a purpose in all – in every place. I want to get out of your way – Lord?
Isaiah 42:6-9 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.“
Isaiah 43:1b-2 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:12b “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.”
B – I feel like I am in this tricky place – I see and believe big and yet it feels like it is lost in translation (reflecting on exchanges with other believers). This season of new Lord – what does it look like to you? Show me your way – your ideas – I want the testimony you have – I know there is more for the book Lord – show me your way.
Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 44:6 This is what the Lord says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
B – Lord, what? Unsteady, unsure, new. It’s like the newly walking – stand, wobble, drop – stand, wobble, drop.
God (G) – Ok to be unsteady – new place – I would rather have you unsteady in new place With Me then steady in old place Without Me.
B – Wow Lord, that is truth. I want to be unsteady in New Place with you – I want to see you. I want to go where you are going. I want to celebrate being in the revelation of status quo, and tricky seeing it with new – eyes, heart, ears – I want to be unplugged with you. I want to be in rest. I want to fully let go and no longer reside in place of performance, saying it right, responding well, being me a certain way. I want to be radically unplugged – completely, newly, raw-ly your way –
I want to stand in afraid, be bold when you call me to it and be ok with trusting in the places that feel dark. I want you in it. I just want you. I want you – when people label and say stuff – to be real and say truth.
Isaiah 46:8-13 “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.
B – Yes Lord – Because I love you – I lay all at your feet. Done holding any thing, person, idea, opinion, plan, thought, any thing that is not lined up to you –
G – Slow
lead with love
joy
peace
replenish
refresh
B – Only for you Lord – I want every thought, action, word, choice to line up fully with you – your way, your plan for your glory and for your perfect plan. I am on purpose for you Lord.
G – I AM says, I love you. You are my joy. I see you and my heart dances. I see your smile, the twinkle in your eye, the narrative that is about me, for me, truth of me, bigness of me, goodness of me, faithfulness of me, promises fulfilled, the goodness, the purity, the righteousness, the faith, the belief, the seeing me in my creation, in my creative moves, in my creative ideas and plans and ways, in the surprises, you are in awe of me continually, expecting the unexpected move of me in your life and I love that about you – You fully and completely and beautifully believe the truth about me and you continue to stand with me in every place I have you. Do not worry on your words or behavior. Holy Spirit covers it all on purpose for me – some have eyes to see, some do not, BUT STILL the truth is the truth. Some have ears to hear, some do not, but still, you stand with me in love and do not waver or bend or change or mix. You stand and that is enough. I call you to stand with me and you do that well in me – with me and Holy Spirit. I do not call you to throw pearls to swine, you throw seed in so many ways and the ground is not your responsibility. The reception is never about you, but it is about the ground, hard, weeds, it is not about you.
B – Yes Lord.
G – I’ll take it all. Good and the bad. Just give to me. Bring me the good. Bring me the bad. I’ll take it all. (I am) Strong enough to carry you.
Excerpt from An Encourager’s Heart