Be Still

Posted on Tuesday, February 03 @ 15:19:07 EST by fspeaks

     It has been a few months now since I have written anything, and frankly, it has not been by deliberate choice, but by necessity. For about twenty years I wrote an article for our local small town news paper, five years of which were published weekly and the rest either monthly or bi-monthly. During that time I could often sit just a couple of hours before my deadline and the Lord would pour through me things that surprised even me. It was wonderful.

     Lately however, the well seemed to be dry and the effort and desire to inspire others had been replaced with the need to be inspired myself. It reminds me of something that happened to us years ago. I use to have lower back problems that required an occasional trip to the Chiropractor. On one occasion I found myself unable to walk without the help of someone or something to lean on.



     On this particular day, it was a Saturday, and the doctor’s office was closed, but fortunately he was a friend of mine and after a quick phone call he told me to come to his home where he had an adjustment table set up and waiting. As Rose and I drove up to his home and I crawled out of the passenger’s side of the car, I could not believe what I saw!

     Out from the house came my doctor, bent over and with his full weight on a walking stick. I found out that he himself had lower back trouble and this day was one of those days when he could not walk himself without the help of someone or something to lean on. So clearly, the doctor needed a doctor himself.

     Our lives can sometimes become that way. As sons and daughters of the Living God, our Father, we sometimes allow ourselves to be poured out to the point of our becoming empty. Since there seems to be so much work to be done we will often continue on in this empty condition regardless of the fact that we have little or nothing to offer. With nothing but momentum leading us forward we allow ourselves to simply go through the motions, which by the way, we can get pretty good at!

     There are times when we seem to go through seasons of dryness, and if I dare to say so, times when we cannot seem to hear, feel or even sense the presence of our Father. At times like this the temptation can be to revert back to our former state of orphan- hood and begin striving and performing in an effort to regain whatever it is we feel we’ve lost. It is here that we find a lack of peace and contentment and find ourselves in a frenzy to try to fix what we cannot fix.

     So many of my friends who have a good grasp on the revelation of the Father’s love and who themselves minister in this area, are finding themselves in seasons of dryness, transition, and a place of the unknown. For many, opportunities to minister have all but dried up, finances are an issue, family problems have seemed to escalate, and, the general consensus seems to be, “Daddy, what in the world are you doing and what are you trying to say to me?”

     For me, I can simply say yes to all of the above! So, what is the Father doing and what is He trying to say to us? Well, I am sure there are many answers to these questions and no doubt some are unique to us as individuals, but I do think there are some things He is trying to teach us corporately. First of all, while I do think it a good idea to do a spiritual inventory of our personal life to be sure we are living a life consistent with scripture, I am also aware that Satan uses our moments of insecurity to get us off focus of the tremendous love Daddy really has for us. It can be easy at times to slip into the despair of guilt and condemnation!  So, be diligent here, but also be aware of his devises’!  (1 John 4:4; 1 Peter 5:8)

     The Father’s Heart is to bring us into a deeper, more intimate place of greater dependence on Him. In other words, He wants to be the focus of our lives. I really don’t think His purpose in this quest is to better serve Himself, though when we are closer to Him He is better served. No, I think it is very simple and genuine. When we are closer to Him WE enter into the place of rest and peace that shelter us from the destructive tendencies and cares of this world.

     Listen to the words of the psalmist. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ‘Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.’”” (Psalm 91:1, 14-16) It just doesn’t get any better than that!

     I think another reason for some of the perceived times of silence that we seem to go through is simply preparation time. Preparation has a double edge here. For us personally, maybe the Father is preparing us for what He has in store for us in the future. Whatever the process might be for us personally; greater revelation, greater knowledge, greater anointing, greater understanding, etc, it could just be a time for growing. Maybe we are just being made ready!

     But have you considered that perhaps He is also preparing the way before us? Have you ever had one of those, “Wow, I can’t believe this is happening” moments? You know, when a door opens for you that you could have never dreamed would open. Maybe it was a time when you found yourself at a place you felt you didn’t belong, with people you felt too humbled to be with, operating in an anointing you felt unworthy to operate in? The Father prepared that place for you!

     One thing I do know is this. Regardless of the reasons behind whatever it is you are going through right now, Daddy is with you and He is working in you to bring you into greater revelation of His love so that you can experience that place of unbelievable rest and peace. He has an unbelievable passion to bring His children, you and me, into His arms to experience Him as the Father we always wanted and needed.

     My friend, the phrase, “God loves you” is a reality! You may be thinking right now about that “sin” in your life and wonder how a God like this could possibly love a person like you. Perhaps everything in your life right now is upside down and there is no relief in sight. Your marriage is on its last leg, your children are rebellious, your job has just ended or is about to, your ministry has failed or has not turned out like you thought it would, your doctor just gave you a bad report, and maybe, you’re just mad at God right now for some reason.

     Nothing and I mean N-O-T-H-I-N-G can cause Papa to stop loving you! In the midst of all that you are going through right now would you do something? Would you stop right now, close your eyes for a moment, and pour your heart out to Him? “Where do I start?” Well, that is a fair question for sure. How about this… when you don’t know where to start or your mind is too distracted to know what to say, how about a simple “Daddy, HELP!”

     In the midst of all the silence, confusion, side-tracks, frustration, and discouragement that I have experienced in the last several months, one thing is becoming clearer to me. That is, that Daddy has not gone anywhere! He has been here all the time. And as I look back, I can see times in the midst of it all when He was gently calling me to Himself to warm me, comfort me, love me. Oh how I fell His love right now!

     It is my prayer for you my dear friend that you receive a revelation right now of His everlasting love for you. May His love be lavishly poured out upon you right now in the Name of Jesus!

 

I love you!!

Vince Mercardante

 
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