So as I sip my cup-o-Joe, God speaks to Ms. Galley loud and clear as I did this morning's reading from Paul to Timothy (yes, I do realize I am speaking in different tenses). :-) While there are many things He spoke to my heart, I gravitate towards this--Stir up the gift...Hold fast the pattern of sounds words...and Keep by the Holy Spirit (that good things which was committed to you by Him). And of course, the known and memorized, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (v. 7) As I ponder on this, I wonder if this is one of the reasons why maybe I don't fight sleep--the decision to not meditate on fearful things, or maybe it's just that I work myself to sleep. While I would love to say it's the first, I am leaning on the latter.
I do, however, understand that we have a responsibility to be of a sound mind, knowing that we have been given authority over all of the power of the enemy. And we should be! His Word clearly tells us that it is love that has been perfected that casts out all fear. He has given us everything we need, right? And it was already paid for and covered on the cross! Yet many struggle with fear and torment, allowing it to lead the way, stealing and robbing them of time, blessings and victories.
Team Jesus, we can do this! The key? Abide in His Word (John 8:31 - 36) and abide in The TRUE Vine (John 15:1 - 8). This is the only way to victory in any and EVERY area of our lives! Many of us spend too much not abiding in the True Vine, but abiding somewhere else--in a vine with no life, that only results in death and bearing no fruit. Did He not say, "Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me..."? He did say it, and if He said it, then who do we think we are and how in the world and WHY in the world would we think we could do "our lives" without Him? We cannot. If we try, we are cast out as a branch and wither--I know...I've been there, done that. You know what? It is true.
The good news is this--no matter where we are at, if we are withering, or beginning to branch away, or just remaining but not fully abiding, it's not too late! We can get right back in, because of His grace, mercy and love and begin to ABIDE IN THE TRUE VINE. Verse 7 says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."
The time is now. Let's get this party started! Time is short and He is coming soon. Are we not His ambassadors? Stop walking around in that defeat and dealing with the same old monkey on your back. It's time to throw him off, know it, get it, stir up that gift, get out there and do it! Here is the thing--every one of us have been created with a special purpose--something we have already been called to do according to His appointing. When we begin to walk in that, we need to continue to stir that gift up in us through His Word, through like-minded Believers, and through others who are of similar gifting or those who exhort us in what we have been called to do!
The good news is--we don't have to do it in and of our own strength. We are to rely on His grace. Paul admonishes Timothy in 2 Timothy 1 to "...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." There is a reason he encourages him to do so! And for this reason, we, too, must get it that we cannot and will not be able to "do it all of ourselves", but ONLY through putting our dependence on Him--ABIDING in the TRUE VINE--His Word. What a relief!
But what this means for us is we must be DOERS of the Word--and not just "hearers only". This will require us to spend time in His Word, hear and listen to what He is saying so that we know what to do. Once we do what He is asking us to do, WHERE He is asking us to do it, He will do, provide and fill in the rest! :-)
Whether in New York, Washington, Texas, Oklahoma, Madison or Cali--the U.S., Israel or Europe...you can sleep on this--if you are abiding in the TRUE Vine, your trust is in Him, He will see to it that you bear much fruit...and in that you can rest...so that at night when you lay your head to rest, you can sleep away!
With much love for you,
~Cyndi
Sleeping in Seattle
