A rhema word, a reminder of His goodness...

One day as I was walking through the woods along the road, observing and taking in the beauty around me, I felt the peace of the Lord on my heart & His goodness lifting it. I started to think about how amazing it is how day after day, I continue to experience His love--how it never stops! "His love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me!" :) I was also reminded of how I'd been in awe of this awhile back while still at IHOP, & how over and over again He would keep overflowing my heart with this joyous love, letting me experience His intimate presence so much-- when He doesn't have to do anything for me, He doesn't owe me anything! I was so astounded by this, I thought, "how can this be? How can He be sooo good? How can He love me in this way?" Oh how wonderful it is!! Well below I've compiled this thought with another very strong, encouraging word the Lord gave me shortly afterwards. The other part came when faced with the temptation to be offended with the Lord while hearing others testify of what the Lord did in their life during the Living Waters program we'd just completed at my church. I was thinking, "well I don't know what to share Lord, I don't really see what you did in me during this time, I don't see any change"--I hadn't got any of the breakthroughs I was hoping for. But I sensed the Spirit asking me, "will you rejoice with them & give thanks for what I've done for them, or will you be bitter in your heart because He didn't do for you what you want yet?"  He also gave me the wisdom of how I'm not God & don't know how many years they might have waited for that breakthrough, & therefore I can't rightly judge God's work in their life, or in mine either. He gives me hope, and when I lose it, He gives me more. That's enough to be thankful for. That I have hope. Without hope, I'd give up. The identity part of the word below came after another rejection I faced with a job I'd applied for. That was the last string for me at that time, and my heart cried out in pain to the Lord. He began to affirm me, my worth in Him, and the worthlessness of the words of others in light of what He thinks about me! Nothing I can or can't do can change that! Try to think about that--I bet you can't, it's too mind-blowing! He also said to me how proud He is of me. That every time I choose to trust Him, despite what's going on, every time I choose to look to Him, to take Him at His word--that this moves His heart. He sees it, He acknowledges it, it doesn't go unnoticed. Wow! And that every time I choose to trust, my faith grows. This is so encouraging, because often we can feel like when we wait so long for something and we give in to doubt & discouragement, or we grow weary & less zealous & diligent in our seeking, we actually feel like the trial is weakening our faith rather than strengthening it!(or at least I've felt this way!) I'm not saying that doesn't or can't happen. But I felt the Lord was showing me that as He sustains me with hope & upholds me with His hands & other's hands, I'm making the choice to keep pressing forward & believing, and that it matters, it's doing something, it's not for nothing. Praise God! So, here's the word, read it slowly, take it in, declare it! I believe it's for all those who have been going through difficulties & hard times, and have yet to see breakthrough. May our faith continue to grow, and whether He never answers another one of our prayers or whether we fail to see all His promises fulfilled in this life, may we never forget up to our very last breath His amazing mercy and love that flowed to us through Emmanuel's veins and has brought us forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Him in His kingdom! How could we possibly ask for more than that? There is nothing else that can be added to that, nothing greater, nothing more! He's given us it all, EVERYTHING! "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, How shall He not with Him, also freely give us ALL THINGS?"-Romans 8:32-33

"It would have been enough, only for Him to demonstrate His love for me at cavalry. But He didn't stop there. He didn't even stop at the resurrection. He keeps pouring it out on me, time and time again, over and over again, revealing more and more to me. He chose to dwell with me, to walk with me daily, to lavish His love on me continuously. He let's me enjoy Him, to be in His presence any time I want to come-- He never rejects me, never turns me away. He keeps calling out to me, keeps on coming after me, He doesn't give up on me. I'm always in a hurry, but He takes the time. He's so patient with me, always faithful to show forth His goodness. He draws near to me in my pain and exchanges my tears for His joy, as He delights in me and releases His desires & longings in me. It's a beautiful journey, yet so often I despise it. Yet He's ok with it, He's ok with finding me in the waiting room as I learn to trust Him. He uses it to draw me into Him, that I would keep coming back to Him. Because He just wants to be with me, for me to be with Him.

Those who look to Him, who turn their eyes upon Him, their faces shall never be covered in shame. They shall mount up on wings like eagles, and soar on His everlasting grace.

Many have put their identity in everything else but me. It is in their strengths, their abilities, their accomplishments. And in their hidden insecurity they pressure you and try to lead & teach you to do the same. They have not been willing to go to the low place of humility, & so have missed the blessing of being utterly aware of their weakness and not having anything else to turn to but Me. But you have chosen the difficult road to walk. You don't think you chose it, you think you're weaker than those & that your need led you to me. But I chose you because I knew you would choose me. You have been willing to walk through the trenches, through the dark valley, sometimes blindly trusting me to take your hand and lead you through. I have said to you, "Come out from among them and be separate. I have set you apart, and marked you. It is my declaration that you are mine." And I want you to find who you are in me, and in nothing else. NO MAN can ever define your worth and value. Your failures have been constantly before you, a giant that taunts you, to weaken you, that you would fail to reach out to me and find My strength and power. I will teach you in the way of grace--My ways are not as yours. Failures, disappointments, discouragement are sure to come, but you can ALWAYS look to me, and I will remind you of who you TRULY are, and what I say about you--how I accept you and understand your weakness. I will empower you to be more than you imagined you could ever be. If only you trust Me--don't grow weary in the process. Daughter, I have given you great capacity to persevere and endure in hardship, and I SHALL bring forth my glory to shine IN and THROUGH you.!Just don't give up, don't give in, and you'll win, you'll win!"