Can I Get A Witness?

The Lord has been speaking to me for weeks about the power of testimonies! I heard Bill Johnson teach on it, I've heard the Lord tell me to stir up faith by sharing and watching testimonies, and I have noticed that when I am in an environment that tends to brag on God - it causes me to begin to believe that He really IS in a good mood!

My little group of Happy Intercessors are having a great time going through Beni Johnsons' book and decided to all commit to writing a bit of journaling over a period of two weeks to share with the group. Just whatever the Lord was speaking to us... no pressure! Of course, pressure came anyway! I am in a season in my life where the Lord is really accelerating some things and I am feeling very much over scheduled and overwhelmed! Especially just returning from a Writer's Conference, you can guess that I have found no time to write whatsoever?!

I felt the Lord ask me to just go and sit with Him on day last week... I have already admitted to a hectic routine and honestly - I sort of had the gall to argue with Him a bit first... explaining that He wasn't really penciled in to my morning! Of course - I couldn't really say NO... so I grabbed my book and journal and a cup of tea... set up my tunes outside and enjoyed some time in the sun (with the Son!)... it was really nice! Relaxing even... I had forgotten how nice that is!

This is what I wrote out of that time together:

Once again, I think I have given in to the pressures of time constraints and a list too long of things that 'must' get done! This pressure is not from You! In reality - many of the things on my list are not from You either! I am listening to Brian Johnsons' CD and "Where You Go" is playing. It brings such peace! It sounds so simple! "Where You go, I'll go and what You say, I'll say, God. and What You pray, I'll pray. What You pray I'll pray!" Now, why didn't I think of that!? As I sit here and wait on Him, the entire atmosphere outside begins to change. I can still feel the heat of the sun, but a breeze that is cool and refreshing is softly blowing and clouds have rolled in. It looks like they are heavy with rain and my hearts cry is to rain down Lord on this dry and thirsty land - on MY dry and thirsty land! Then the Lord showed me two Scripture references - Job 28:27, 28 and 2 Chronicles 20:29-30. In Job 28:27, 28 it says that the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and in 2 Chron 20 is says that the fear of God was on all the kingdoms WHEN they heard that the Lord had fought Israels enemies and THEN the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet for God gave him rest! In the Message it says, "When the surrounding kingdoms got word that God had fought Israel's enemies, the fear of God descended on them. Jehoshaphat heard no more from them; as long as Jehoshaphat reigned, peace reigned."

I love that it says WHEN and THEN! WHEN they heard the testimonies, THEN the realm of the King was at rest... WHEN Jehoshaphat reigned, Peace reigned! We must step up and begin spreading the good news and share testimonies! As Bill Johnson says, He's in a good mood!" Once word got out - that's when the fear of God goes out - and THEN the Peace reigns!

Proverbs 9:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom! As Paul Young says, in the West especially - we love the Lord with all of our heads! Eventually - (as the REST of 2 Chron Ch 20 shows) we all have to deal with our 'stuff' - our issues - our 'Shack'! We can walk in wisdom and peace for so long - but as we press in, we're gonna have to deal! We all come to that place where the winds of change begin to blow. We realize that the peace we walk in now is less than all He has for us and to go deeper, often times we have to go back. There comes a 'nevertheless' moment where Wisdom can reveal the High Places still standing, the places in our hearts not yet turned toward Him!

We must remember that God is good; that He always has more for us than what we so often settle for, and that He is not bound by time constraints or lists! Job 28:27 says "He saw Wisdom and DECLARED it..." which takes me back to declaring this simple truth:

"Where You go, I'll go
and what You say, I'll say, God.
What You pray, I'll pray.
What You pray, I'll pray."

Reign down, Lord! Rain down on our dry and thirsty lands!

~Karrilee~