God Wants to do it For You: The Word God Gave me for the New Year!
Earlier this week, as I was seeking God in His word to confirm what I had believed Him to be speaking to me. He led me to Ezekiel 33; in my Bible, this particular section of Ezekiel is titled, Messages of Hope. Immediately, a herd of excitement came rushing through my body as I realized how applicable and relevant the opening paragraph of this section was to what I had been seeking God about.
However, even though this particular chapter, indeed, did confirm what I believed God to be speaking to me, as I continued to read on, I soon discovered that God had been answering a recent prayer my heart had been silently, but diligently seeking Him concerning. My heart had been seeking God concerning what He is speaking for 2018; what He is looking, promising, and willing to do in 2018 for those who genuinely love Him (rather this is a newfound love or a continual love in Him); and how His people are charged to respond to what he is speaking, and what He is ultimately willing to do in the lives of those who choose to believe He is who He says He is. I believe it is necessary for me to point out that our response to what He is doing this year is pivotal to us physically seeing and grabbing ahold of what He is looking [and promising] to manifest in our lives for 2018.
Dear Friends, I want to officially begin the word that God was revealing to me earlier this week by assuring you that there is Hope for you.
I truly believe that in this season some of us are feeling weighed down by the circumstances we've encountered throughout our lives up until this point; whether it was caused by the consequences of our decisions or whether they were not. These circumstances have caused us to believe that we are unworthy, or even undeserving, -- eventually producing the misperception that we are not worthy, or are undeserving, of the love of God; you may have even begin to feel like true life in the abundance joy, freedom, and peace are not destined for someone who has had the experiences that you've had. I've concluded that we have allowed circumstances that have happened to us in the past, or even past sins (which is simply missing the mark) to cause us to fall victim to the lie that because we simply feel unworthy, we cannot turn to God. [Oh, how do I just want to give you a huge hug through this computer screen right now...] Contrary to what you may believe, I want to encourage you today with the Word that there is life in God. There is life in that place of hurt that you're currently residing in, there is life in your feelings of unworthiness, and even in the circumstances that have caused you to get to this place of feeling undeserving -- yes, even in those circumstances.
I want to encourage you in the hope and in the promise of a savior, Jesus Christ, who wants to meet you in your brokenness; He wants to meet you in those deep places of hurt. In those places that you may feel like no one around you understands -- He wants to meet you -- head on, in that place, He wants to meet you there. I briefly mentioned here on my blog before that the way I sincerely encountered God was after an intense break-up I experienced, and you better believe I felt unworthy, and underserving of the love of God. I remember spending nights in the shower just sitting on the floor and crying out to God, confessing to Him the lies that I had began to believe -- that the break-up was all my fault, and that I don't deserve anything good to come my way. I didn't realize it then, but today I'm fully aware of the fact that I had began to allow the hurt that was caused by my life's experiences to begin to allow me to question my deserving of the love of God, of the good that He has assigned to my very being. Nevertheless, I was not perfect when God met me; quite frankly, I was a pure hot mess. And He met me right there. In the darkness of those showers, He met me. As I began to confess my heart to Him, acknowledging where I genuinely was at in life to Him, it was there where He began to lift me out of the depths of hell that very much so clouded who I was destined to be in Him -- He literally loved me out of that hurtful place in my life. You see, God is not looking for you to present yourself to Him when you think you're worthy of Him (which is simply a misconception anyway), but to be genuine with Him, and come to Him exactly where you are in this season of your life. So friend, I want to encourage you that He wants to meet you in that place you feel uncontrollable in, in that place that causes deep hurt, in that place that causes you to question the purpose of your very existence -- Jesus wants to meet you there. You do not have to sit in the place of being worry (or even being concerned) about turning back to God and trusting Him with your life because of the discouragements that your previous attempts of missing the mark have birthed. You do not have to feel scared to turn to a Kingdom that welcomes you with literal open arms -- friend, you are qualified for the Kingdom of Heaven, despite of ____ (you can enter your "despite of" here) -- you are welcome. In Matthew 13:44, the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to the joy of finding a hidden treasure. That is powerful! This everlasting joy that is linked to the Kingdom of Heaven is embracing you!
With this being said, there is a promise on your life that is connected to you turning back to God; there is promise and salvation for you, but you must receive and take the opportunity that God gives us, in His mercy, to turn. God is saying to turn -- He says He has healing for you, He has salvation for you, there is, indeed, purpose for you -- but is connected to you turning back to Him. He requires your obedience, He requires you turn away from your past ways and into your future full of true life that can only be found in Him. God is willing to bless drastically and abundantly (Psalm 1:1-3), despite of your past, He is willing to give life to those who would dare to be wholly committed to a life with Him in a genuine intimate relationship, where they are delighting in Him; He is willing to exchange our hurt for healing, to exchange our hurt with a life full of abundance and favor when we indeed turn from our wicked way, which are contrary to who He is (2 Chronicles 7:14). Jesus encourages His audience in John 10:10 by saying, "A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." More and better life than they ever dreamed of... This gets me so excited! Y'all! But, nonetheless, there is a part we have to play, there is a response that must take place... Connected to our decision to turn to Jesus with our hurt and with our pain is more and better life that you ever dreamed of; you have to make the decision to turn. This means you must start the process to embarking on the journey of turning from you past ways, and turning to Jesus -- this is when you will collide head on with mercy, with grace, with your destiny, with who you are in Christ. You will simply meet life fulfilled head-on. This is what the Lord is looking to do in our lives in 2018! He wants to exchange our life of lack (I'm not even speaking materialistically, but mentally -- spiritually) for a life that's full of abundance that we can never dream of. Amen! I receive it! This is truly salvation, which is simply life fulfilled. Life that will heal your brokenness -- that will bring contentment and not false commitment that this world idolizes.
Friends, I would be a disservice to you if I painted this picture of perfect living once you turn to Jesus because, being completely honest, it is not the most easy process. You see, this process is going to bring issues you may have found comfort in suppressing to surface; thus, it will include things you've never done before. Hence, in order to experience a life you never dreamed of, you must do things that you've never dreamed you to be doing. This process will stretch you and who you believe yourself to be -- it will pull you out of your comfort zone. This decision will cause you to begin the journey of walking in power, you simply will not be familiar with that; it will cause you to rise up into a new and higher version of who you are. During this journey, you will be forced to possess who you truly are in Jesus and what He has for you. This new life of stepping into something greater than you calls for you to be in partnership with Jesus; He wants to do things through you. Because you see, you will not be able to experience this level of abundance by yourself, but only with and by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). You may be able to experience some form of abundant life, only to find out it was a counterfeit from the beginning. Friends, He IS our only hope. In John 15:5-7 MSG Jesus boldly declares, " I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon." It is in Him where hope is restored. So no, this is not an easy process, but yes, the process is worth it simply because we do not have to walk this journey of becoming who we were destined to be alone, but with Jesus. What great assurance this is!
In Ezekiel 37, God is speaking to Ezekiel and revealing to him what the Israelites are believing: "Then God said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they're saying, 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there's nothing left to us.' Listen to God's response to the lie that the Israelites had started to believe: ".... I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live. Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I am God. I've said it and I'll do it." God is saying I will restore your years... The Lord says, "I will repay you for the years lost" (Joel 2:25). The question now becomes, will you believe this truth? Will you choose to believe that life fulfilled -- that the life that the Lord promises to breathe in us begins to manifest when we align, or position, our life with Jesus -- when we believe in our heart that He is who He says He is, fully God and fully man; and with this heart posture, there is love, love you've never dreamed of, that is assigned to you and waiting to be manifested in the form of abundant life, in your life. This true love is found only in Jesus brings healing, it brings contentment, it brings life, and every other spiritual blessing that the Father has lavished on us (1 John 3:1; Ephesians 1:7,8; Ephesians 1). Friends, God is sincere about His people turning to Him and living in a place of obedience to Him (Ezekiel 33:12). This healing, contentment, joy, peace, freedom, love, and abundant life that I am speaking of naturally comes with the obedience to Christ. In your opinion, what does obedience to Christ look like? I think with this question we should also ask ourselves if we are willing to exchange that which we lack, for His fullness -- for life, abundantly. It takes one decision, make it in your hearts today; don't second guess it -- answer the call, today. There are opportunities that the Lord is ready to give us, but we have to let go of our ways and turn to Him as the Father, the ONLY one who can give everlasting life in heaven and on earth; the only one who would dare to exchange our pain for hope. Jesus wants to show himself to you -- He's just waiting on you...
Here are a few verses that I mentioned earlier, but did not quote them and also, a few verses to encourage you on your walk of life fulfilled with Jesus -- rather you're just starting, continuing, or picking up on your journey:
Psalm 1:1-3 ESV: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers."
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV: "...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Zechariah 4:6 ESV: "Then He said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit...'"
Joel 2:25 ESV: "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you."
1 John 3:1 ESV: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are..."
Ephesians 1:7-8 ESV: "In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight"
Ezekiel 33:12 NIV:"...'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.'"
1 John 4:9-10 NIV: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 3:23,24 NIV: And this is His command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another a she commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.
Signed with the Love of Jesus,
LaGerrica D. Simmons
P.S. Share this post on social media and let's get a conversation started! I would love to connect and converse with everyone concerning this message; I want to hear your questions too, if you have any! You are not alone on this journey, we are a community!
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