Favor

Woke up last night around 12.30 with those images of silver and gold floating around in my mind. It was not good. So I got up and prayed and took those thoughts …. Images captive. In my drug using days I would have said I had a using dream. Those were not good either. So I got out some journaling I did four years ago and I read. It was an eye opener and it is so simple, but we/I make it so hard sometimes

Obedience triggers the Fear of the Lord Obedience triggers Favor

I just had to sit there and pause. In fact after I was through pausing, I continued to read, but I could not get that out of my mind! I must have gone back to it seven or eight times. It was my handwriting but it was the Lord speaking. You want favor? You know what to do. Romans 6:17-18 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. NASB95

Psalm 119:58-59 I sought Your favor with all my heart; Be gracious to me according to Your word. I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies. NASB95

Psalm 51 10

When I woke this morning I immediately heard Psalm 51 and I thought to myself "I know that passage." So I got up and went through my routine and then set down to read. Have it already marked up so that was a distraction right from the start. It is just like hearing Gods voice over all the other sounds in your head. He will make a way and He did. So this passage jumped off the page at me. Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. NKJV this whole week has been about climbing out of the pit that I fell into (because I was not watching Jesus) I cried out and He heard. I feel strong in His Spirit and protected. I feel verse 10 Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. This is how I feel today. So how did all this happen? Holy Spirit says in James. If you will draw near to me, I will draw near to you. It is that simple. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. The Message: So hear is the question … are you down in the pit or are you drawing near? Are you Passionate about Jesus or are you passionate about your misery?

Galatians 5

Galatians 5:13

For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. AMP

Strong's: 1 a place from which a movement or attack is made, a base of operations.

Galatians 5:13

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. The Message

I can't help but wonder how many times I have destroyed my freedom by not listening to the whisper of the Lord. It is one thing to serve, but it is completely different if you are serving out of Love and not obligation. There have been many times I have used my freedom as an excuse for sinning because I know I am forgiven. If I understand what it is saying about opportunity … when I do this then I have opened up base camp in my heart for the attacks to come …. Or better yet my selfishness, judgment or whatever trips my / your trigger My Flesh!

It is a good day today and I am free

Isaiah 30

Isaiah 30:19-23

O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, "Be gone!" Then He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture.NASB95
This just really rattled my cage this morning in a good way. The other morning I wrote in my journal that is in my drawer and one of the things that I wrote was "Lord I feel like I have already dealt with all my wounds" While I was typing that He interrupts this phrase with "No you haven't" I have to tell you that really pissed me off, but at the same time I am grateful that He corrected me. I have to say though that I angrily said "Yeah? Then what are they?" no answer to that one. So today I am reading and come to the above passage which speaks volumes to me in many ways. He hears my cry so He is going to answer. He will no longer hide Himself from me. My ears will hear the whisper of His voice. Today is the day to walk in victory.

So I think the big question is this ….. If you hear the whisper will you obey? In your life what are the images of silver and gold?

2 Timothy 2:20-21

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. NKJV