When the metamorphosis of a Butterfly is completed, the adult butterfly breaks the pupal case, pulls itself out and hangs upside down with its wings wet and limp. It begins immediately expanding its wings by forcefully pumping blood into the veins of its wings.Once the wings are fully expanded the butterfly lets them dry and harden up before taking its first flight. Normally this takes around 2-3 hours.Psalm 62
I place a high importance on my daily walk with God. There is not a day that passes where I have not spent a good chunk of time in His Word and tear-filled prayer. I get up each morning and dress myself. My daily walk is my spiritual garment. I would not walk around naked and I will not proceed through my day without a spiritual garment. As an intergral part of a disciplined Christian life I promise your life will never be the same as you read your Bible and pray every day.
Before I read the Scriptures I bow my head and ask God for wisdom and understanding. There is so much that I do not know and even more that I do not understand. I need His light to shine on the dark areas of my heart that I am not aware of until I yield myself to Him.
I adore my Father in Heaven and my relationship with Him is the single most precious and important relationship I maintain.
Do you have a close walk with God? If you struggle with the ups and downs of a woman's life there will never be any longterm change or growth without a continual daily Bible reading schedule and prayer life. A great Christian is a good Christian daily.
What sabotages permanent change in our outlook of life is the inability to see beyond our circumstances and a lack of understanding of the will of God for our lives.
Most recently I shared a verse of Scripture with a lady who is working through the predictable issues that a major change has brought to her life. I thank God that He would count me worthy to share my own testimony of an identity crisis I went through when I arrived in America just over four-years ago.
"And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD." 1 Kings 20:28
Without any doubt in my mind I am exactly where God wants me to be. Do you believe you are doing what God wants you to do? Do you struggle with the sameness of life; young mother - are you content being just that - a mother? Do you resist the sacrifice it takes to mould your little ones and do you resent the lack of acknowledgement for all that you do? Do you feel that your life is on hold for now? Are you content to be at home and to give of yourself to your husband and children as God would have you?
Perhaps you are an older woman who has gone through a major change in life. Prior to God pulling the rug from under your secure feet - you were somebody! All the props in your life have been removed and the various distractions that brought so much comfort and security to your world no longer exist. You acknowledge that God has divinely taken all this away from your life and yet you continue to resist the changes and you wrestle with finding fulfilment and purpose for your life. Standing still is not enough, and so you continue to live in the past sharing all your prior achievements and successes to a listening ear while you feed a longing for love and acceptance.
I want to encourage you; it was not until I took inventory of my life and allowed God's truth to shine through the lies that I fed myself, that I begun to embrace God in the valley and trust His hand when it hurt the most. You cannot fool anyone into believing you are content when your conversation and conduct speaks otherwise. What we think about and what we speak about is a litmus on our heart.
God is the God of my hills and now He has become the God of my valleys. Through the rod of correction and the staff of comfort I have learned that if I sing His praises when the going is good then He is certainly the God of my hilltop. When I am in a valley and do not sing His praises then He cannot be God of my valley. In fact, the devil has the victory in my valleys when I do not acknowledge the divine hand of God on my mountains and in my pit.
As I read Psalm 62 last week, I outlined what I believe is God's antidote for an identity crisis. Whatever you are going through - God has the solution!
Praise God vs. Personal Honor; "Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.” Psalm 62:1
Climb His high place vs. Climbing the Success Ladder; “He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalm 62:2
God’s Wisdom vs. Poor Judgment; “How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.” Psalm 62:3
Christian Character vs. Personal Reputation; “They only consult to cast him down from his excellency:” Psalm 62:4a
Truth vs. Lies; “…they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.” Selah. Psalm 62:4b
Christ-centered Expectations vs. Personal Outlook; “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” Psalm 62:5
Inflexible Standards vs. Changing Standards; “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.” Psalm 62:6
God’s Strength vs. Dominating Personality; “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Psalm 62:7
Trust in God vs. My Expectations; “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.” Selah. Psalm 62:8
God’s Thoughts and Words vs. My Opinions; “Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.” Psalm 62:9
Confidence through my relationship with God vs. Self-confidence; “Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery:” Psalm 62:10a
Heavenly Riches vs. Earthly Possessions; “if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” Psalm 62:10b
God’s Power vs. Personal Control; “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” Psalm 62:11
God’s Mercy vs. Critical and Unkind Spirit; “Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.” Psalm 62:12
My desire is for God to expose me for what I really am rather than I expose myself to others as I no longer am. God likes to watch me in private and wants more than anything for me to cultivate a servant’s heart.
"Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." Psalm 51:6
I am learning to admire the grace of God in rewarding my works rather than seeking the admiration of others.
I Love You
Deborah
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