What Will You Believe?

How many 'voices' are speaking to you today!?

Sure - of course - we hear our own thoughts - that ever growing list of things to do...
We hear what others expect of us - carpool, meetings, errands, etc...
We hopefully hear that Still, Small voice of God - leading and guiding us through out the day...

But - if you are like me, and I suspect you are... there is also an ongoing, never-ending whispering to your soul of negative thoughts and fears and worries. It can be oh so soft, we can often confuse it with our own voice. However, it is the voice of the enemy and he is consistently attacking our thought life to stop us from advancing into all that the Voice of God speaks over us!

In the midst of prayer on Tuesday, once again - I found myself dancing with Jesus. We were slow dancing and enjoying the moment. For reasons completely unknown to me.. I suddenly began to feel sad... He pulled me back and looked deep into my very depth and He began to openly weep over me. I watched and saw Love pouring our in His tears. And deeper still, I could see a woundedness in Him that caught me by surprise.

He pulled me closer into The Dance and held me tight. He continued to shake and sob as He held me. This stirred in me such unease and confusion... I am forgiven... I am cleansed and pure in His sight... whatever could I have done to bring such sadness and brokenness to my LORD?! After quite a bit of time passed, He began to whisper into my ear, "How much more LOVE must I lavish upon you to get you to believe what I say about you rather than what lies he whispers? How are you going to let me closer when you have that constant negative background noise, building walls and stealing your attention? My heart breaks for you because I see you for who I made you to be... and you have not yet - even after all this time - even caught a glimpse of the good and the Glory I have in store for you!"

"Show me, Lord! Show me... help my unbelief!" I cried.

"I know that you know I love you," He said. "I know you know you are forgiven. But I do not love you simply because of or through my Grace and Mercy. But I love you because of YOU... because of who I created you to be! YOU draw me... it's you that I love and you that I desire! I made you to be you - the one I love. I made you to be who you are - who I NEED you to be! Now Rise Up! Rise Up into all I have created you to be!"

Believe in what He has to say about you... we all struggle with negative thoughts and debilitating fears... we listen to those things and at best, they cause us to pause... at worst - they cause us to freeze up and not follow through with all He has called us to be and to do!

He knows the thoughts He has towards you...
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isa 55:8-11)

"For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome." (Jer 29:11)

And this one - which I just stumbled up on as writing this:
"[There shall be heard again] the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord, Give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good; for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure forever! For I will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed and return to be as it was at first, says the Lord." (Jer 33:11)

My prayer this week is that we will learn (and relearn) to recognize the whisperings of the enemy and take authority over those thoughts... they are not our own... and they are definitely not the Lords! May He help you to silence the enemy and tune in to the Voice of the Bridegroom this week! Rise up!

Blessings,
~Karrilee~