Ready to Run

Be still... I've written on it before, soaking in the assurances of His word that He will do the fighting for me and I just need to stand firm in my faith (Exodus 14:13-14), as well as learning how to be still and let God be God (Psalm 46:10).

And so I have ~ been still that is ~ for what seems like an eternity.  Looking back, I wasn't as still as He was asking me to be all that time.  There was some squirming in there that wasn't necessary but I did it all the same. God still loved me through it though *smile*.

As I stayed as still as my squirming self could, God also asked me to let go.  When I finally got still enough to look more deeply into what He was asking me to actually do, I saw that while I was standing (mostly) still, I was doing so with my hands full.  Overloaded.  Clutching and clinging to things that I needed to surrender. No wonder I was so squirmy!  It's hard to stand still when you are carrying so much weight and you aren't equipped with the strength to do so! I wrote about surrender back in October of 2010, and looking back from here to there, I see now that it was just the beginning of a sanctifying road trip God was sending me on.  That story of surrender on 10/28 was the first of many things God was going to ask me to let go of.

Most recently, it's been an exercise in surrendering to Him all the things I have clung to for personal identity. The surrender in 2010 was just a warm up.  A series of events over the next 18 months would find me being asked to let go of everything I clung to for security and personal identity.  And while it sounds like I was the image of spiritually mature obedience, let me quickly clarify that IT. WAS. NOT. PRETTY!

During that time, my squirming entered a phase that more resembled bobbing and weaving!

My feet were firmly planted in God's word, and I was being still in His presence, but I wasn't being still in my walk.

I avoided total surrender like it was a bee chasing me on a warm summer day, bobbing and weaving to keep from being stung, sure that my movement was necessary to keep me safe from harm.  

And yet God uses all things for His glory and our good.

Eventually God brings us to a point of surrender one way or another.  And so with me, He caused me to be so physically impaired that I was forced to stop 'doing' all the things that were allowing me to bob and weave my way through surrender and submission.

And so, the bobbing and weaving ceased.

And I did not get stung.

And I found peace and strength / joy and hope in this place of full surrender.

My circumstances have not changed. The bees are still swarming around me.  But God is my protector, provider and my source of peace.

And then it happened.  Release!

For so long I have been learning how to be still and know that He is God.  Evidenced by the lack of entries on this blog for the last 8 months, I stopped everything.

And now that I am at peace and content with this place of total surrender and complete stillness ~ RELEASE!

Words and thoughts are bubbling over in my head and heart, so much so I'm not sure where to begin, but I know who does and I'll be following His lead.  I'm currently reading through 1 Peter and was impressed by verses 13-14 in the first chapter:

 Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance....

The exhortation in this scripture is to prepare our minds for action, action that is directed by God.  When this was written, everyone wore long garments that had to be gathered up and fastened in preparation for action.   So this figure of speech, chosen by God for this particular scripture, spoke strongly to me as I was feeling released into action for His glory.

The reason they would gird up their loins (bind up the long garments) was to keep from tripping over the flowing cloth.  Similarly, there are things we need to let God show us that need to be bound up by Him so that we can be called into action without tripping over those 'issues'.

As I sat there, meditating on this call to action, I realized that I had become entangled over the last few years with many thoughts that did not belong in my mind.  Thoughts that were tripping me up and causing me to fall.  This long season of being still was God revealing to me those things that needed to be bound up.

And so, I'm ready to take action.  I know God is leading and I'll go at His pace.  I can't wait to be blogging regularly...and I was inspired to get a web cam for my computer recently, specifically for posting some video spots on this blog.  For those that know my propensity for hiding behind the written word ~ this is definitely a God thing!

Our recipe today is Get Ready to Run

The ingredients are from 1 Peter 1:13-14

The directions are be still and let God reveal to you the thoughts of your mind and things in your life that need to be bound up so you can stop tripping and be ready to take action for His glory.  

CLICK HERE  for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul.  Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.  

PRAYER: 
Heavenly Father, it is good to be still in  Your presence.  It is in this place that You prepare our hearts and minds to do Your will, to be strong in  Your word and to take action for Your glory. I thank You for this gift of Your presence, a gift given at a great cost.  You desired fellowship with us so much that You destined Your Son to take our place on the cross. There are not enough words to thank You sufficiently for this sacrificial gift.  May I spend my lifetime pouring out my gratitude through service to You.  Lord, when I get tripped up by the flowing garments / issues of my heart and mind, give me eyes to see what I need to surrender to allow You to bind them up by the power of Your Holy Spirit. I come to You in the name of my precious Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  


What about you?  Are you in a season of stillness or is your mind girded for action? Or maybe you'd just like to say hello!  I've missed the community of this blog and can't wait to hear from you.  It's easy, just click and type {even if you want to stay anonymous :-) }