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God said, don’t quit

Hebrews 12:2 (MEV) Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

About eight years ago, around this time of year, my husband and I went through tremendous heart ache due to the church that we are leading. Some people that we love dearly decided that they did not want to be with us any longer. They had led and were very much a part of our life. They just did not want us to be their pastors, and it was due to an offense. We knew there were issues but did not know what. It was a punch in the gut, because they were not just a part of the church and leadership team, but they are also family.

My husband and I were at breakfast and talking about it just being too hard, and we decided to quit. We were going to give it up. We had taken on a financial giant, in running the church, and were paying for it personally, as the church did not have the funds to meet the needs. Not even five minutes after the agreement to quit came a phone call from a very trusted leader in our life. “God said, don’t quit.” Someone hundreds of miles away, not knowing the situation we were in, and God told him to tell us not to quit.

Daniel 7:25a (AMP)  He will speak words against the Most High [God] and wear down the saints of the Most High

The enemy wants to wear us down. I have to tell you, he has been busy at work lately. However, I put it together. He does not have a new trick, he wants to use the same ones and he will do them around the same time. Just like the seasons are there, so are the enemy’s schemes. This time of year again, I have been in a battle to not quit. He does it through the avenue of wearing us down. I have had two instances in the past two weeks of having to love through the hurts. Praying not to take an offense, to not take account of a suffered wrong, to not allow how others treat me determine how they treat them. Why? I am deeply loved and rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.

Did I have a moment to entertain what it would be like to quit? Yes. I imagined what it would be like and I grieved. I grieved because those thoughts were not full of faith. I had to cast them down and repent.

1 Corinthians 9:16-19 (AMP) For if I [merely] preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am compelled [that is, absolutely obligated to do it]. Woe to me if I do not preach the good news [of salvation]! For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have a reward; but if it is not of my will [but by God’s choosing], I have been entrusted with a [sacred] stewardship. What then is my reward? [Just this:] that, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge [to everyone], so as not to take advantage of my rights [as a preacher and apostle] in [preaching] the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ]. 

I have heard it stated that when it comes to quitting church attendance, “my life is so much better.” When I imagined life without it, my heart ached. I cannot quit. Woe, is a word of grief. I have grieved because I have a deep love for people. I desire them to grow closer and deeper in this love that Christ has for us. I grieve when self wins over the life He desires for us.

Why do you think I have been challenged lately? I know. Just a couple of weeks ago I praised God for answered prayers. I encouraged you all to be patient in the waiting, but to also be faithful in what He has called you to right now. Don’t rush the solution, was a praise report of the faithfulness of our God. The enemy hates our praise. He wants to shut it down. Do not settle in for a pity party. Get you some confetti and start a praise party.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (AMP) So then, let us [who minister] be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards (trustees, administrators) of the mysteries of God [that He chooses to reveal]. In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.

Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the spirit. I will not be very good at producing this fruit if I am not rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. I want to be trustworthy. I am reading Daniel and some of the things God revealed to him were because he was trustworthy.

Daniel 10:19 (AMP) He said, “O man, highly regarded and greatly beloved, do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take courage and be strong.” Now when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

The Lord has strengthened me. I am persevering in this time and looking forward to what lies ahead. I desire all that God wants for us in this life. The part that wants to quit, is a part of me that is still living and against the new life in Christ. I am asking the Holy Spirit to search within me. Reveal the areas that are broken and put them back together. I do not want to be deadened to what He calls glorious, His church. I am pressing forward. So here is a prayer I took from Habakkuk:

Creator, Abba, Father You are Holy. You are worthy of all Honor and Praise. Thank You for Your Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit. As with Habakkuk, though there seems to little fruit yielded and it is hard to see the blossoms, what has yielded looks to fall dead to the ground and rotted. We choose to focus on what has bloomed. We repent for making it all about us and self-focus. We choose to focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We choose to rejoice in the Lord. We choose to shout in exultation in the victorious God of my salvation! The Lord God is our strength, our source of courage, our invincible army. He has made our feet steady and sure like hinds’ feet and makes us walk forward with spiritual confidence on the high places, of challenge and responsibility. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

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Strength to their minds, to their bones and to their resolve

Proverbs 3:7-8 (AMP) Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil. It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts] and refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.

“Strength to their minds, to their bones and to their resolve” is what I was praying over our church yesterday. The word I looked up at the end was “strength”. Then I remembered Proverbs 3:8. My children are athletes. They will come home bruised and/or sore from that days practice. Often the soreness lasts through the weekend. Praying Proverbs 3:8 has become something I do daily. However, I cannot be so selfish in my prayers that I do not focus on the precept that God laid out. It is not me who makes things happen. My prayers are no more special than any one else. It is all about our reverent awe and obedience to the Lord. I can now stand on the promise that our muscles, our bones and our full bodies will be healthy.

I stand on that promise for other’s as well. I have especially been praying that promise over a precious woman of the Lord that I love dearly. A few months ago she had a procedure done and has been using a walker. I have noticed that she now has an attendant with her to drive her, to help her through doors and other needs she has. Yet I stand on the promise. I know she is a woman of faith and loves the Lord dearly. She is obedient and has the resolve to continue with her calling in the Kingdom. She has not stopped.

Psalms 118:14 (AMP) The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.

Psalms 28:7 (AMP) The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; my heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.

David understood that the Lord is his strength. David knew God on an intimate level because revered and honored Him. David was in awe of God. He wanted God’s Presence. He was willing to look foolish to man in order to bring His Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. Did he make a mistake the first go round? Yes he did. That did not stop his resolve.

Proverbs 3:1-6 (AMP) My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life [worth living] and tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life’s blessings] they will add to you. Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; bind them [securely] around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

Proverbs 3 is one of my favorites. Why? I believe it holds quite a few keys to my prayer yesterday. Strength of the mind has to do with if we have surrendered it or not. Whether I am going to have mercy, kindness and stand on the truth is going to start in the privacy of my mind. My trust is the Lord begins on how I think about Him. The Word tells us not to rely on our own insight and understanding. That is why I am quick to check it against the Word: Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. (Philippians 4:8)

We have already gone through verses 7-8 about strength to our bones. What about the resolve (determination) that I prayed about? David’s resolve was to have His Presence. Our resolve should be the same. I have found that through the avenue of faith and honor (obedience) we can stay on track with that resolve.

Proverbs 3:9-17 (AMP) Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your crops (income); then your barns will be abundantly filled and your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not reject or take lightly the discipline of the Lord [learn from your mistakes and the testing that comes from His correction through discipline]; nor despise His rebuke, for those whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, and the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences], for wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver, and her gain is better than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value]. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favor, and all her paths are peace.

Yikes the first thing was about our money. When we get into the understanding that we are honoring God with our first, then our resolve will be aligned with His. Discipline is another thing we do not like. Especially in a culture today that tells us to do what makes us happy. We do not even like to be corrected from the Word. We will find a church that will not talk about such things as repentance. I would rather be challenged by the Word than live a life in darkness. Peace is a promise with this kind of resolve. How many of us would like peace in our lives? It takes faith to honor God is such a manner.

I have included the rest of this Proverb at the end of the blog. If you desire to read more I encourage you to take a look. It is quite insightful.

This is my continual prayer for my church and for the entire body of Christ: That the Lord is your strength and He brings strength to your mind, to your bodies and to your resolve to follow after Him.

Lord, we are in awe of You. You are Marvelous and Holy. We do not need anything other than You. Thank You for sending Your Son to be our Yeshua, our Rescue, our Savior and our Deliverer. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The same power that raised Christ from the dead not dwells in us. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and knowledge of Your Word. Thank You for the gift of Your Word. Passages like Proverbs 3 are dear to us. Your whole Word is full of Your Love. We choose to honor You through applying the precepts of Your Word. We repent for not trusting You at Your Word. We repent for picking and choosing what parts of Your Word we thought did not apply to our lives. We repent for our lack of understanding of how precious it all is. Thank You for the banquet of Your Word. Let it full us up. Thank You for the opportunities to carry our the precepts so that we can glorify Your Name. Thank You that You are our Strength. You are the strength to our minds. You are our strength to our bones and to the fullness that You can only bring. You are the strength to our resolve to honor and trust You. Your Presence is all we need. We choose love today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Proverbs 3:18-35 (AMP) She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly. The Lord by His wisdom has founded the earth; by His understanding He has established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up and the clouds drip with dew. My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life to your soul (your inner self) and a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self). Then you will walk on your way [of life] securely and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless]; for the Lord will be your confidence, firm and strong, and will keep your foot from being caught [in a trap]. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients], when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,”
when you have it with you. Do not devise evil against your neighbor, who lives securely beside you. Do not quarrel with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways. For the devious are repulsive to the Lord; but His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage]. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just and righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance]. The wise will inherit honor and glory, but dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.