The Lord is moving. Many are hearing the sound of expanding territory ringing in our ears. Many are tuned to heaven and are hearing clearly that land is being given to God’s people. Places of refuge. Properties that provide food, through homesteading, and land for the wanderers to find rest. It’s a specific time…to be sure.
The wealth of the wicked is being laid aside for the righteous. We are in a season of shifts. A time to look up and ask God, “What’s next?”…then to double down in preparation so we are established for it.
I have had multiple dreams lately. The kind of dreams that you immediately know are significant.
In one of those dreams, I was face to face with a person who once (I thought) was one of my closest friends, but she and her husband betrayed Chris and I in some really painful ways. In the dream I came face to face with the next step in forgiveness. It’s been many years, walking out the process of forgiving something so acutely personal.
After I woke up, I began to reflect on the dream and as I did, I had a very clear vision…I saw myself pushing/flipping over a very large stone. It took all my strength to push from under it and flip it over. Then I heard simultaneously, “expanding your tent posts” and “the boundary lines are expanding”.
It takes a lot of strength and some discomfort to move these boundary stones. It’s not been pleasant to pursue forgiveness, even in my dreams. It’s not easy to wake from those dreams and instead of simply dismissing them, ask God to show me myself…ask Him to grow me.
In this season, I am surrendering to growth and intentionally investigating myself to see where I have need of maturity.
This is not easy.
To get where we want to go, we will inevitably face pain. There will be times when we face the ugliness inside ourselves if we plan to grow. Are you brave enough? Are you willing?
It’s so worthwhile.
God is on the other side of shame.
A lot of times we struggle to look at points of shame from our past or present, but whenever I find the courage to do so…I find God waiting right on the other side with a deeper understanding…with a greater measure of mercy…with a deepened sense of my identity.
He holds my identity. No man defines me. He alone tells me who I am…so if I have gone astray and allowed someone’s opinion of me to speak louder than His…then I always end up with more shame. Shame is not from God. It’s a trap of the enemy. A set-up to go off course with our destiny in Christ.
Shame is our enemy. Remember that next time it lurks up behind you. Call it out and command it to leave, then ask God for His viewpoint. He is always near…and He cares for you.
“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.” Isaiah 54:2-3
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:10
365 Days in the Presence 