In His Time

After Mass this morning, I finally had an opportunity to “dead head” the large pot of yellow Mums sitting at our front entrance.  Many of the blooms that once so gaily greeted each visitor were now black, soaking wet with the last rainfall and covered with mold.  As I clipped them en mass, I noticed that it would do the plant more harm if I allowed the clipped, mold infected blooms to fall back on the thriving plant.  One additional step was needed to remove all remnants so that the thriving plant and new blooms would not get re-infected.

As I reflected, I asked the Father what that meant.  He said that it was not enough for us to clip off the hurt and pain from our lives …which we achieved through prayer and through counsel.  It was also necessary for us to totally let go of each and to leave them at the foot of the Cross.

Although the Father has brought about healing, the Devil enjoys bombarding and accusing us with the same old memories so that we begin to doubt if healing actually took place.  We can very easily succumb and entertain the old recorded memories, bringing about the same pain and agony which we experienced before OR, we can stand firm on the Father’s Word.

Following Jesus’ example, we can use God’s word, our spiritual sword, and proclaim out loud that “Greater is Jesus who is in me, than you, Devil, who is in this world!” (adapted from 1 John 4:4) and/or “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore I will not fear.” (adapted from Psalm 46:1-3)

The Bible reminds us to “resist the devil and he will flee”.  James 4:7  This promise, however is clearly directed to those willing to “submit to God” and is immediately followed with the following instructions…”Draw near to God and He will draw near to you”.  (from “How we can Resist Satan” http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/booklets/devil/resist.html)

May each of us go forward victoriously in our life journey.

God bless,

Melissa – September 11, 2009

p.s. – For those who think they are not blessed in hearing God’s voice, I encourage you to be still and ask Him to open up your spiritual ears.  Ask Him to teach you to “hear” him.  He doesn’t speak audibly.  He speaks through our thoughts, through a nudging or an urging in our spirit or through other inner promptings.   I often recognize when He “speaks” because the thoughts are too profound for me to come up with.  May each of us hear the “voice” of the Father.  In Jesus’ name…Amen!

Over 15 years ago, when Nicole was in Kindergarten, I had my first encounter with the Father in the garden.  At that time, you couldn’t correctly refer to it as a garden…perhaps a better word to describe the overgrown weeds  that grew haphazardly in our front yard was the “green patch”…or was it the “yellow patch”???

My Mom and I had just finished chatting about what seemed to be burdening my heart and mind and I had become ecstatic.  Although depression was visiting at that time, elation seemed to flow from me because we seemed to have found the source of my troubles.  After a few words with the Father, I immediately went out to the front “patch” and I began to pull out the weeds.  I really had no idea what I was doing because at that time, Nancy, my best-buddy, always likes to say that I had a “black thumb”. I had no interest in plants and neither did they have an interest in me.  Nevertheless, as I examined the roots of the weeds I was madly pulling out, the Father said…”This is what you are beginning to do with your own life.  You are going to pull out the weeds that have overgrown in your life and they will no longer bother you.”

This morning, as I was pruning away dead leaves from the luscious plants in the front garden, God reminded me of our first encounter there.  As I thanked Him for all the beauty He has brought out of my brokeness, He reminded me that we, He and I, need to continue to prune away the dead leaves from my life.

May we all be blessed with the grace to spend quiet moments with the Father, reflecting on who we are.  And as we reflect within, may each of us find someone so beautiful who is so dearly loved by the Father.

God bless,

Melissa  – September 10, 2009

p.s. – I must point out that a friend had been fasting and praying for my breakthrough and I am so grateful to her and the Father for answered prayer!