For months my heart has been full of things God is doing in me, and through me, and around me. During this time I have wondered where was He going with all of it, what did He want me to do with it? He usually always gives me a chance to use the sweet words He speaks to my heart.
Trusting Him through the years has taught me to allow Him to build my faith through the waiting for His timing to be used.
You see, I have a deep Godly desire to help women become wise hearted women, courageous wise hearted women to be exact. It's not that I think I am so wise mind you, but what little I know, I want to share it, to be used to encouraged, to help someone grow just a little more mature in their walk with God.
All that said, all that pondering on my hearts desire and then, just like that, He opened two opportunities to speak to women.
The first was the hardest, because it was before a group of peers, the other Member Care women in our mission, who do what I do, attend the same conference, usually read the same book. My thinking was, what in the world can I say that resonate in their hearts that they have not already heard.
How could I encourage other encouragers who like me wanted to be healthy growing women of God. God reminded me of my prayer for Him to take me deep.
For almost a year, God has been driving me to go deep in His love, to the deepest part of His heart because it is nothing like my heart, my flesh heart. His ways are not like mine, there is mystery to His heart.
How do I tap into that mystery? Then I remembered it's the Holy Spirits job to reveal the mysteries of God.
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
Trusting God's grace means trusting God's love for us rather than our love for God. Therefore our prayers should consist mainly of rousing our awareness of God's love for us rather than trying to rouse God's awareness of our love for him, like the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:26-29).”
― Peter Kreeft,
I love the above quote and it went right along with what my two opportunities to speak were about.
II Corinthians 5: 14-15 For the love of Christ controls (motivate, compels us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died, and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
The second time of sharing came in a room full of women of few I knew. God allowed me to share a journey of finding the power of God's love for me. Not my love for Him, it can never match up to His love for me. When I dwell on HIs love a divine filling of the spirit happens in my heart. His love for me has nothing to do with what or when or how I do, in fact I cannot ever do enough to match His love for me. His love does motivate me to be used of Him at any cost. It motivates me to surrender myself, my emotions, my will, my self life. It tears down any idea of a life of me being in control.
I am His and He is mine. Hallelujah.
Oh, and deep you are in His Love, Betty! Don't ever doubt that you don't have much to share. For you surely do! The "power of God's Love for me"...how powerful is that!!!! Awesome post precious Missionary! Much to glean from!
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane for the encouragement. I get excited when I see you have commented on one of my post. I told the Ladies I spoke to that I am think we should shout the phrase, Jesus Loves Me like they shout for a team at any sport game. He is worthy of a passionate shout.
DeleteWe were sort of close to you on our trip from California to Sanford, Florida. I wanted to take a detour up through N. Carolina but time and another meeting and a wedding dictated our route. Someday my blog friend we are going to meet face to face this side of heaven, someday.
Hallelujah indeed. There is no greater place to be than in the shelter of His love and in His arms.
ReplyDeleteIts a wonderful safe feel even though the reality of life with its hardship continue to roll along. I like it to the, cleft in the rock where the storm rages but I am safe in cleft. Blessings Bill
DeleteWe've been on a month trip from coast to coast with a trip up to Minnesota in between the coast so I haven't kept up much with my usual blogs I visit. Hope all is well with you and Jo. Back to windy southern California with several trips coming up in Arizona and northern Ca. It's good as always to be back in our own place even though with the winds comes the fires. Blessings brother.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on God's love for us, not our love for Him . . . Wise words from a wise hearted woman, indeed, Betty! Thanks for the inspiration, my friend.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
In my early years with the Lord, I thought more about my love for Him since the teaching in the church was, 'if you really love Jesus you'll be here everytime the church doors are open." I could never rise to what ever the standard was for loving Jesus. but God in His grace has brought me past that thinking to His love for me even if when I don't make it to church or do whatever was expected of me. Which has made church, being around other believers or unbelievers a delight. I carry inside me this incredible love that will never leave me. Yes, Jesus loves me...
DeleteOh I love that God has given you these opportunities! Be prepared for Him to continue to open doors to encourage others with the wisdom He's given you, friend. In person ... and online through the written words.
ReplyDeleteBless you!
Thanks Linda for the encouragement. I pray He opens more doors for me to share in anyway. I long to share how to live as a wise hearted women. Without the foundational truth of His love for us we will do without joy, always looking for one more thing we need to do to please Him. I did that for years. It's freeing to listen to His voice and not to what others think I should do. to do because He love instead of doing because I love Him is vastly different. One is bondage, the other freedom.
ReplyDeleteSo thankful you were able to minister to these women. Only wish I could have been there to hear you! I am sure it was a huge, edifying blessing to all, sweet sister!
ReplyDeleteIf you had been there, I would have had you come up and give a testimony of how the Lord has met the needs of your life. Hope all is well with you and the family. I need to get over to your blog and catch up. I did not do much blogging on our month long trip but did do some writing on my book. Now I just need to get what I long hand wrote typed into the file on my computer. Blessings.
DeleteI love that God is opening the way for you to share how He led you to find the power of His love for you, Betty. I pray God will open up more doors for you to spread His love. Love and blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Trudy for your prayer for the desires of my heart. I love sharing with my blog friends for I believe you who follow me have the same desire to be used of the Lord in some way.
ReplyDelete