life
Keys to receive a blueprint part 2
You can read part one on blueprints: "A blueprint for the new year" here.
In the last post, I unpacked how a blueprint is more than a vision. It is a plan on how to live it out. There are countless examples of this in the bible.
God revealed to Noah how exactly the ark was to be built to carry out God’s rescue plan from the flood for the righteous: "This is how you are to make it: The ark will be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high..." (Gen. 6,15 CSB) David received the exact blueprints from God to pass on to Solomon to build the temple of God: "The plans contained everything he had in mind for the courts of the Lord's house, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of God's house, and the treasuries for what is dedicated" 1 Chronicles 28:11 CSB.
And on and on the instructions go.
Like Noah and David, we can position ourselves to receive a blueprint for an assignment we've been given so we can partner with God and not only fulfill our assignment, but fulfill it in His loving, wise ways.
For you, God might want to give you a blueprint for the vision He has given you for 2019 whether it be for a certain project, a blueprint for your team structure, or your family's rhythms for example.
What were Noah, David and Jesus' blueprint for?
Noah's blueprint was for building an ark that could rescue the righteous from the flood God had sent to wipe away the wicked from the earth. The purpose was to partner with God for a reset on earth that would serve the future generations.
David's blueprint was for rebuilding the temple of God. After the Israelites had resettled in Jerusalem after the exile, they needed to reconnect with their identity as the people of God. The temple should direct them back to God's presence in their midst. The temple would later remind many Christians of the importance of the presence of God.
Jesus' blueprint on how to pray in Luke 11 served the purpose of intimacy with the Father and it showed the way for other people to connect to God.
In all three examples (the reset on earth, the rebuilding of the temple and the model of prayer), the blueprints helped serve other people, the future generations and forge relationship with God. 🔑
Let's look on some other keys in scripture that unlocked a blueprint from heaven:
- Ask 🔑
"He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray..." Luke 11:1 CSB.
A new testament example on a blueprint is Jesus teaching us a model for prayer in Luke 11. Before Jesus prayed, "Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come..", he was asked by one of his disciples to be trained on the 'how to'.
Where do you need to ask God on the 'how' to carry out a certain assignment, face a challenge, or maybe reconcile a broken-down relationship?
2. Walking consistently with God 🔑
"Noah walked with God" Genesis 6:9 CSB.
Noah is described as a man walking with God and David's faithful heart towards God is also evident many places in scripture. When we walk consistently with God, He can align our hearts with His, and He can speak to us about the specifics on how to carry out His heart in a timely manner on the earth.
A blueprint is not about getting a plan and then moving on with the job without God. No, God shares His secrets with friends who consistently abide in Him.
3. Failure does not disqualify 🔑
"Then David prayed, “I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin—I’ve been really stupid.” 1 Chronicles 21:8 MSG.
Before David received His blueprint he had just been seduced by the enemy to make a prideful leadership decision in counting his warriors.
The key is David’s hearts after his failure. He repents for his lack of trust in counting his warriors and in obedience he builds an altar to worship to God. Like Noah, He is walking with God, not perfect though, but with a repentant heart, willing to bear the consequences of his stupid choice. After David repented, he did not cut corners in building God an altar (1 Chronicles 21:18)
Failure does not have to qualify in partnering with God when we repent and in obedience goes forward with what He has called us to do, now done in His way without cutting corners.
4. A grateful attitude 🔑
In David's prayer (1 Chronicles 29:10 CSB), we see David go public with his honor to God: "Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly" and we see David explain how they had received provision from God to carry out the blueprint of the temple: "Lord, our God, all this wealth that we've provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand..."
When we do receive a blueprint from heaven, we can learn from David's example of telling his testimony publicly and recognising where the provision for the blueprint came from. A grateful attitude is pleasing to God.
Promises attached to the blueprint
1 Chron 28:19 tells how God not only gives David the blueprint on how to build the temple, but also the understanding on how to then carry it out: "By the Lord's hand on me, he enabled me to understand everything in writing all the detail of the plan."
That's a comforting fact. We can in the same way believe God not only to give us a blueprint but also to give us the understanding to carry it out.
Let's learn from Noah, David and Jesus and...
- Ask for a blueprint,
- Walk consistently with our Father
- Remember failure does not qualify when we repent
- Carry a grateful attitude
Bless you,
Sandra.
A blueprint for the new year part 1
Have you ever received a blueprint from heaven?
Synonyms for a blueprint is a model, design, strategy or template. Blueprints are used to describe the detailed, blue, photographic prints which architects used for their buildings since 1942. 🏠 I love the word ‘blueprint’ is also used in the paraphrased, modern translations of the bible.
A blueprint is more than a vision. It is a plan on how to live it out. There are countless examples of this in the bible.
God revealed to Noah how exactly the Ark was to be built to carry out God’s rescue plan from the flood for the righteous (Genesis 7). David received the exact blueprints from God to pass on to Solomon to build the temple of God. (1 Chronicles 28:11 MSG) Jesus taught us the blueprint on how to pray (Luke 11:1 NIV).
I believe in the strategies of heaven. I believe God has designated plans for us and I know He wants to share His secrets with His friends: “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him” Psalm 25:14.
With 2019 just around the corner, we can draw near to God to receive blueprints of heaven for our new year: 🎆
“Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ.
Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 MSG.
I love the analogy of our lives as a house, and I feel the weightiness of the scripture too. God is serious about the foundation and the materials the house is built with. Why? Because the house we are building with our lives is the home He dwells in, His sanctuary.
Therefore, regular heart-check-ups are healthy. Is our foundation still Jesus Christ? Are we co-builders of His house building something of eternal value? Are the materials we use silver and gold that will stand the test of fire?
Or is it rather hay and straw that will make our house come burning down by the exposure of time?
In The Passion Translation commentary, it says that “there is an allusion here to the temple of Solomon, which was built using gold, silver, and costly stones. Wisdom will build her house with divine substance (gold), redemption’s fruit (silver), and transformed lives (costly stones). See 1 Chronicles 22:14-16; 29:2.
Wood, hay, and straw are emblems of the works of the flesh, the building materials of men, not of God.
It is both quality and durability that God commends. Fire will cause the better material to glow brighter, but the inferior material will be consumed.
How we build and what we build matters to God. Note that it is possible to build on the true foundation of Christ but with wrong materials. We need God’s work done in God’s way.”
We need a blueprint to build something of quality and durability in 2019. Are we building with His wisdom, His insight, His understanding, His provision and His perspective?
I hope you are encouraged that God is a God of blueprints. God has a blueprint for the wicked (Job 20:29 MSG), God used wisdom’s blueprints to build the earth’s foundations (Prov.3:19 MSG) and God has a blueprint for your life and season! You are heaven's assignment. You are believed in and dearly loved, and your life has purpose.
With your wise strategy for 2019, you can wage war and confuse the enemy’s blueprint for your life. (Proverbs 24:6 TPT; Psalm 55:9 CEV)
Be encouraged to build your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ with materials that will last and stand the test of time:
“You will find true success when you find me, for I have insight into wise plans that are designed just for you. I hold in my hands living-understanding, courage, and strength. They’re all ready and waiting for you.” (Prov. 8:14 TPT)
Let's press in and receive what God has for us. He has exciting things in store!
Bless you,
Sandra.
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Nudged out of the nest
To watch and listen to the message, click here: Nudged out of the nest
Have you ever felt like you've been nudged out of your nest?
With your nest I mean that place that has become your retreat, refuge and resting place. We all need a resting place for refuelling to go back to and recharge. But we need more than that. We need risky faith and gutsy courage in order to grow our known zones and comfort zones and be about the purposes of God.
To step out of our comfort zone is necessary to mature in God and to start adulting! Childlikeness is awesome in the kingdom but our childish ways should be abandoned in order that we might be trustworthy and able to carry others to the throne of grace.
"My righteous ones will live from my faith. But if fear holds them back, my soul is not content with them!
But we are certainly not those who are held back by fear and perish; we are among those who have faith and experience true life!" Hebrews 10:8 TPT.
The scripture above tells me that my God is not content with me when fear holds me back. He is pleased with my faith. Therefore, I've experienced His gentle nudge out of the nest, my comfort zone, to trust the freefall.
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The definition of nudging is to gently push someone or something into a place or position. I experienced being gently nudged into a new place when I stepped into developing a new outreach department within my church.
Even though I was anxious as I can be about change in life, both God and myself knew I needed this transition to grow. So I gave Him my hesitant consent to take me where I had not been before, and trust He wold develop my wings on the way down; that His grace would carry me and give me wind in my sails.
Moses' freefall
Moses knew this gentle nudging of God as well. Moses' excuses to stay nesting were great (I'm not good enough, I don't have all the answers, people won't believe me, I'm a terrible public speaker and I'm not qualified - see Exodus 3 and 4) but he overcame his excuses and stepped out in obedience.
So can we.
Moses' obedience and courage even helped the next generation do the same. Through a song Moses wrote on his deathbed, the people of Israel, and their new leader, Joshua, were taught about God's faithfulness in the past. The testimony and wisdom from Moses gave them hope to step into the unknown freefall future without Moses by their side, and eventually they got to experience their promised land.
Moses' song has the potential to launch you into your promised land as well. It can help you put words to a season you are going through and courage to let God do and be the same for you as He was for Moses.
I have inserted 'me' in Moses' song below where it originally says 'him', referring to Moses and the people of Israel, for you to personalise and receive it for yourself:
"He (God) found me out in the wilderness, in an empty, windswept wasteland. He threw his arms around me, lavished attention on me, guarding me as the apple of his eye. He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young, Then spreading its wings, lifting me into the air, teaching me to fly. God alone led me; there was not a foreign god in sight.
God lifted me onto the hilltops, so I could feast on the crops in the fields. He fed me honey from the rock, oil from granite crags, Curds of cattle and the milk of sheep, the choice cuts of lambs and goats, Fine Bashan rams, high-quality wheat, and the blood of grapes: I drank good wine!" Deuteronomy 32:10 MSG
This is who God was for Moses. He can be the same for you. He wants to lavish His attention on you. He can find you in your wilderness. He wants to protect you and discipline you; treat you like his beloved child. He is interested in your character more than your comfort. Therefore, He will teach you how to fly, even though it might be scary and there might be a long way down. If people do not or cannot stick with you to the next level you are going, you will be trained by God alone and learn that He is enough. God might allow you to let you fail temporarily but He will lift you up again and take care of your needs. He will give His finest to you because you are His beloved.
Name your nest
I do not know what your nest is called, but your nest can look noble and courageous in others' eyes and still be a nest for you.
My work as a team leader in a interdenominational café for sex trafficked women at night became a nest with time. There at night on my shifts, I was in my sweet spot, hidden away in a basement doing what I loved doing. But the grace also lifted from the work and I saw a mental picture of Jesus standing with a big watch on His wrist, pointing to it and saying to me: "Time is up, I am shifting the season."
As I transitioned into a new beginning ministry-wise and tried to navigate pouring new wine into new wineskins, I got this timely prophetic word that is strikingly alike to Moses' song in Deuteronomy 32:
"I feel like you need a little nudge. Yes a little nudge to push you over. It reminds me of the eagle pushing the baby out of the nest so the baby can learn to fly on its own. But the eagle as the Father lets the baby fall but the eagle/Father swoops the baby up before it lands. This process is done over and over until the baby learns to fly on its own."
This word might be for someone else too in your season if you feel God's gentle nudge to rise to what He is asking of you. And with rise, I simply mean to lean over the edge, and do the freefall, trusting that your Father will swoop you up before you land on the ground. He is developing deep trust in you. Trust in Him. Trust in your relationship; that you do hear Him rightly as He is calling you out.
Your perspective and trust might be tested when it feels like you are just about to land hard on the ground in the freefall, and your faith will probably soar as you experience the Deuteronomy 32-experience of God lifting you to the hill tops for perspective and provision. All the in-between feelings will probably arise too of doubt and insecurity when the roots developed back in the nest are tested.
His heart is not to shame you, humiliate you or push you away. Rather, He wants to teach you to face giants when it seems like you are on your own in the freefall; to trust His Holy Spirit is with you even when you cannot see Him. Your own prophecies over your life can be used as weapons as you wage spiritual warfare by faith and with a clean conscience (1 Timothy 1:18 TPT).
When you find it hard in the freefall, remember those days right after you saw the light - those were the hard times where you stood your ground for your new-found faith! Do not throw away your confidence. It has great reward and God delights in your faith, even when it is feeble.
As God is developing well-formed maturity in you, a confidence will arise that the roots developed in the secret place with Him, will carry you wherever He is leading you.
The future is so exciting. We've got this. Fall, we welcome you!
Love,
Sandra.
Your turn
- What is God asking of you that's pushing you out of your comfort zone?
- Where are you nesting when you are supposed to be flying?
- What is the first step you can take to jump and let God grow your wings on the way down?
- How can you trust the process and provision in the freefall?
- What can you do to actively remember the faithfulness of God? (Moses wrote a song that helped give him the confidence to leave the nest and develop wings on the way down.)
Having done all, stand
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Sometimes we just need to get eternal truths applied correctly to the situation that's making us unsure if we can keep standing steadfast in our convictions and assignments.
I can feel like the prophet Isaiah is uttering, that my wrongdoings pile up before God and that my sins stand up and accuse me! It's like my wrongdoings can stare me down, because I know in detail what I've done. (Isaiah 50:12-15 AMP)The most important truth we can let us be penetrated with, is that of our standing in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3 AMP). We stand on His salvation through faith, and not by our works. Such an amazing grace. We are safe when we desire like David to fall into the hands of the Lord when we are in great distress over our own mistakes. His mercies are very great! (1 Chronicles 21:13)
We want to fall down at Jesus' feet, because only when we put Him at His rightful place by worshipping Him, will we ever be able to stand victoriously:
This is how God tackled Israel's disobedience after Israel was defeated at Ai. He approached Israel's leader, Joshua, for his lack of standing, and He might say the same to you:"Get up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?"
God's questions are so tender and convicting at the same time. His questions remind us of our convictions about getting back up and stand tall, even when life-and kingdom battles seem to knock us down.
Like God exhorted Joshua and the people, I believe He is exhorting us today to rise up and consecrate ourselves, because God knows we cannot stand victorious before our enemies until we walk in obedience to what He has said to us. Get back up and take courage!
So divinely loved one, let's be on our guard, so we can stand instead of fall from our own steadfastness of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith. (2 Peter 3:17 AMP)
The two only places in scripture it's speaking about withstanding is concerning God's power that no-one can withstand! That's why we can stand. We can be secure and trust in the Lord's withstanding against evil. He will resist it and stop it's progress in our lives. The weapons will be forged but they will not prosper:
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]." Psalm 91,1 AMP.
Sanda.
⬇️⬇️
If you need an extra boost to STAND, whether it is to stand up for righteousness, to withstand the enemy or standing tall on your convictions and assignments, read these scriptures loudly over yourself and experience faith arise as you preach gospel to yourself: 💥💥💥
"Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail)." Psalm 55,22
"When He arrived at the place [called Gethsemane], He said to them, “Pray continually that you may not fall into temptation.” Luke 22,40 AMP."Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation]." 1 Cor. 10,12 AMP.
"A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But danger will not come near you." Psalm 91,7 AMP"I will set no worthless or wicked thing before my eyes. I hate the practice of those who fall away [from the right path]; It will not grasp hold of me." Psalm 101,3 AMP
"For You have rescued my life from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from stumbling and falling." Psalm 116,8 AMP.
"You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling, But the Lord helped me." Psalm 118,13 AMP.
"Do not rejoice over me [amid my tragedies], O my enemy! Though I fall, I will rise; Though I sit in the darkness [of distress], the Lord is a light for me." Micah 7,8 AMP
Photo by Lasse Hultén.
From watch-watcher to map master
Have you ever impatiently waited for the clock to turn to the time you wanted it to turn? When we are aching for a moment to come about, it feels like time can only go too slow.
At Easter I went with my family to Geneva where we visited the famous Patek Phillippe Museum. The museum showcases thousands of different watches. The first pocket watch was made in 1540.
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There is a market for watches, obviously because they can be pretty accessories and a fine piece of craftsmanship. But there is a market for watches because we all care about time! We don't like being behind or even too far ahead of ourselves. We want to be right on time. We are watch-watchers, watching the clock and waiting, dreaming and hoping for something to come to pass.
I think this desire to be right on time is godly. We are created to follow a rhythm of grace and a timing.
What is not godly is when we try to take the matter of time into our own hands.
Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:7-8:
“You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”
Because timing is the Father's business, we'll benefit from loosing our glance on the clock and follow the directions of a map instead; the map of the word of God. <3
Psalm 19,7 MSG tells us that the life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.
Proverbs 4:11 MSG also tells us, "I am drawing a map to Righteous Road. I don’t want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns."
I personally know the pain of being a watch-watcher, staring down the clock for the minute hand to move in areas like starting to date, get married and finishing up studies.
The result has been the same - wasted time and ending up in blind alleys, as the Proverb above teaches us.
When I change focus from passively being a watch-watcher to actively studying the map of God's transforming word, I set myself up to receive what I'm hoping for in the Father's perfect timing.
Below are three keys which can help us see why and how we must go from being watch-watchers to becoming map masters:
1 - Sow your seed
"Go to work in the morning and stick to it until evening without watching the clock. You never know from moment to moment how your work will turn out in the end."
(Ecclesiastes 11:6 MSG)
This verse speaks about hard work and persistence. It speaks about us not needing to evaluate our job every single day to check if it's producing the fruit we are hoping to see from our labour. Instead of evaluating if we are getting the results we want, we are better off getting on with sowing the seeds that are moving us in the direction we are heading to. That will make sure we are not living short-sighted, but for the long haul. (even though getting regular wins are key as we move forward.)
As my pastor, Thomas Hansen, will often so brilliantly say, it's not our position in life but our direction that counts. As we sow the right seeds in the direction of God's principles mapped out in the bible, we will eventually get where we need to go in His timing. Our job is sowing the right seeds. His is the timing.
2 - Map it out
What do you already have in your hand that God has given you? For the Israelites, they had been given Jordan, their promised land, and a courageous leader in Joshua, who asked them to map the land, so the seven tribes yet to receive their inheritance could get their portion:
"So the men set out. As they went out to survey the land, Joshua charged them: “Go. Survey the land and map it" Joshua 18:8 MSG.
The bible speaks over and over about the principle of offering God what we have, and then God will add His miraculous power to it. So whatever you have been given, map out how you can best put it to use, just like the Israelites mapped out the land they had been given.
The meaning of mapping something out is with other words to outline, plan a route or course of action in detail, sketch out, rough out, block out, draw up, formulate, work out, frame, draft, plan, plot out, arrange, design, programme, think out, think through and to organise.
This is right in line with the scripture in Habakkuk 2:2 MSG that frames it this way:
"Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait. And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time."
When we map out our dreams and resources, we can do what God tells us. We can walk in the paths He shows us. We can follow the life-map absolutely. We can keep an eye out for the signposts, His course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then we’ll get on well in whatever we do and wherever we go (1 Kings 2 MSG).
3 - Expect His timing to be only good
When I fell into being a watch-watcher recently, I was tempted to doubt God's heart and if He even wants to give me what I purely and godly desire. When I started doubting in the waiting, my mum wrote out this amazing encouragement to me: "We must learn to trust that God will give us what we need, when we need it. He is ALWAYS timely."
That dream of yours you might be watching the clock to see happen, remember so much more is at play than you can even imagine! God is attentively, intimately aware of your heart's longing and aching in the waiting and at the same time He is working hard to connect all the dots. Because when your dream comes to pass, it will help a lot more people than you imagine! So many puzzle pieces will be put together for the kingdom to advance in and through you, and the testimony will be wild!
"What a Day that will be! No more cold nights—in fact, no more nights! The Day is coming—the timing is God’s—when it will be continuous day. Every evening will be a fresh morning." Zechariah 14:6-7 MSG.
The timing is God's for your life, and the timing is God's for the bigger picture it's speaking about in the verse above on that day when heaven comes to earth for good.
Our part is becoming great map masters of His word & revealed will, so we can align ourselves with what He has for us in the future.
His love is poured out for you and His timing is only for your good.
So let's dare going from being watch-watchers to becoming map-masters in Jesus' name.
In this together,
Sandra.
No doubt about it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv_8e8fSMNg
To watch the message, click above⬆
To read the message, continue below ⬇
Have you ever entertained doubt in your mind? Doubt about the future, doubt about your abilities (self-doubt), doubt about your relationships, doubt about your direction? Doubt can show up everywhere and it can be debilitating.
Doubt comes up for me, especially in waiting seasons. Big dreams and vision are awesome and without them, we perish. But in the in-between-space of dream becoming reality, our minds can easily spin into, 'Did God really say?', 'How will this come about?' and 'Have I missed anything since it has not happened yet?'
Rarely will these kind of questions do our heart any good. We'll start reason our way into a downward spiral, jumping to conclusions on how our future will become reality and we'll afflict our life with self-doubt about the seeming gaps in our lives.
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I think Jesus wants to ask some of us: "Faint-heart, what got into you?" Jesus asked this question to Peter as he started to doubt and sink down into the water he just so bravely walked out on to follow Jesus.
So sweet, amazing faint-of-heart-you, what got into you?
No matter what kind of doubt has taken hold of you, it's a gift for us that the topic of doubt is covered many times in the bible!
Let's look on three keys that can help us combat doubt when it starts to damage our day:
1. Simple trust
In this story below, Jesus is appearing for the first time to the disciples after His resurrection. Despite the disciples' doubt, Jesus had been true to His word. He was teaching them simple trust:
"While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over. Look at my hands; look at my feet—it’s really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe (Luke 24).
When doubt arises, instead of acting on our doubt, let's wait and watch how God will come through. We might not see the bigger picture right now, but that's where we got to trust God's timing. A delay does not mean denial. Mark 9 tells us that there are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen. Therefore, watch in expectation what He will do.
Wait and watch for God - with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it - He'll redeem you, He has bought you back from captivity to sin. (See Psalm 130:7)
3. Ask for help
A bud is coming forth 🌱
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDxaDQ36NqY
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To read it yourself, continue below. ⬇️
Have you ever had a melt-down? Like a shaking ugly kind of meltdown? Where it’s all flowing – snot, tears and of course the loud sobbing? It’s definitely not the glamorous moments of life I am talking about here. I’ve had a few lately I must confess, and my behaviour started to worry me. Why am I breaking down like this? Am I a crazy person? Taking on too much? Processing too little? Not able to adapt to changes? What’s going on?
The questions were valid and necessary but brought to calm this morning when there came a turnaround in my perspective. Through reading a book, the Holy Spirit reassured me how okay it is to grieve and mourn. It was the exact permission I needed to just let the sadness flow. Feel it and grieve it to then release it.
It is okay to cry out like David: “I’m hurt and in pain; Give me space for healing, and mountain air” Psalm 69:29 MSG. ⛰
Mourning is not only for people who have lost loved ones. It is also for the ones of us who have experienced death of a friendship, death of a season, or death of an expectation. Disappointment in ourselves, in others or a dream is a real pain and it demands to be felt and mourned. As Jesus followers, to experience death is actually necessary for new life, the life of Jesus, to spring up in greater ways in our lives.
For me, this reminder gave me freedom to grieve. When something is cut away from our lives, whether it’s a loss or change life throws at us or something we voluntarily give up, it hurts. Even when we ourselves know it’s time and right for something to be cut away because it has been good this far but will not be sustainable for where we are going in the future, it’s hard because we might not know the new provision that’s coming for us. The cutting of a __________ (relationship, ministry, dream etc…..fill in the gap) leaves just that – a gap.
Therefore, with this post, I want to encourage you, as I was encouraged myself, to be free to grieve the loss, and also know that a cut is part of a pruning process in our Christian walk.
The likeness of our inner lives being pruned as Christians and the pruning of beautiful, yummy-smelling roses, like the ones in the top of this post, is actually astounding! 💐 Roses too need pruning to continue to flourish.
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When I realized this connection, I spent time looking for rose pics for my inspiration board on Pinterest. 🌹 As one beautiful rose came up one after another on the Pinterest dashboard, in between came also descriptions of how to do some succesful rose pruning. I learned that rose pruning is defined the following ways:
- To reduce something by removing things that are not necessary.
- To cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in the future.
- A proper pruning cut is made just above a growth bud ✂
- Seal every significant cut with glue to speed the healing of the cut.
This definition reminded me of the pruning truth John 15 speaks about in the context of Jesus being the vine and us being the branches. Like rose pruning, God is at times removing things in our lives that are not necessary: “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit…”
God also cuts off branches in our lives in order for us to grow better into the future He has prepared for us: “…while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (Rose pruning point nr. 2 ) 🌿
I know it can feel like a shock when we are cut from every side in a time where we have just gotten used to an extent of flourishing in life. But, there is so much hope. Because God prunes us the same way a rose is cared for. God makes the cut just above the bud. This means that while it may seem like we are left empty handed in the cutting, we never are. He has already given us a bud, a signal of hope and new beginnings. Jesus is our patient pruner who is not scared of seeds, buds, and small beginnings. He is excitingly gardening and landscaping our lives into a beautiful, flourishing salvation garden (James 1:21 MSG), and is with expectation awaiting the nice, new bud to come forth!
After every significant cut, Jesus seals it with glue to speed up the healing, just like roses are treated after a pruning (rose pruning point nr.4) Jesus is our glue; He holds us together and in His presence we are healed when life takes us unexpected places. Jesus redirects our growth, He is our Healer and in the pain of the healing process we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus Himself learned obedience by the things which he suffered (Hebrews 5:8 NIV).
Let’s trust His heart when something is cut off from our lives. God cuts just above the bud so that the new and better will spring forth! He is giving us a new assignment and redirecting our growth. The cut is a promise of a launch into a new season of effectiveness, influence and fruit, which is exciting.
Trust it’s a nice bud coming! He has got you. 🌹
Dance to the tune of His revelation 💃🏼
Have you ever found your life going into autopilot? You wake up in the morning, eat the same breakfast as usual, go to the same workplace, meet up with the same friends? Rhythms and routines are great in life and necessary to put down roots and be established.
However, sometimes stuff we have done for a long time just don't serve our life anymore. It's like life begs more from us... This could be our soul yearning for a new level of devotion to keep us well fed in the Word of God even though our current devotion has been working fine for us until now. It could be a fine-tuning needed in areas of diet, exercise, friendships, family investment, job situations and on and on it goes. The scenarios are countless really.
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It's like when walking barefoot has served our lives perfectly in the Summer days but if we keep walking barefoot as the weather changes, our feet will turn blue and cold. A change in the season calls for a change in how we carry ourselves. To not hurt ourselves, get sick and slow ourselves down, we need to put on some shoes. The same applies to our spiritual and emotional prosperity. What worked in a previous season won’t necessarily work in a new one.
I find adjusting is key to staying flexible, fresh and fired up for what God has for our lives in the current season.
Why is this necessary?
Since God is the one who changes times and seasons, who He removes kings and establishes kings, (Daniel 2:21) we want to be people who are constantly tuned into the gospel message and who dance to the tune of His revelation, like King David did. (Psalm 119:70 MSG) When He changes the season, we want to change with Him. We are kept safe as we listen to Him, readily recognize what he wants from us, and quickly respond to it.
We are not the only one who pays attention to the seasons in order to stay aligned with our purpose. Certain birds do the same as they migrate to warmer, foreign skies during winter, and for them it is a matter of life and death. We may not apply the same life-and death urgency to our season shifts as birds but we can sure learn from then. Their example can definitely propel us forward in adjusting accordingly to successfully walk in our new season and assignment.
2 - We change wineskins
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved" Matthew 9:17 MSG.
I was sent this verse by a friend right before major transitions in my life; stepping into marriage and a new ministry. The old ways of doing things wouldn't work in the new God had for me. I needed a new mindset, a new resilience, and a new level of devotion to Jesus to sustain the growth and blessing He was adding to my life.
The ability to adjust and adapt is something we can totally do! Why? Because we have a High Priest who is modeling this by being perfectly adapted to our needs (Hebrews 7:26 AMP). Let's in response align and go with Him into the adjustment that's required to receive the new He has for us. Let's test all things carefully so we can recognise what is good, and hold firmly to it.
How do we continue to dance to the tune of His revelation?
3 - We do what we can, not what we can’t.
In transition, not all things are in our own control. How people perceive our change, or the doors that open for us are examples of that. It's not up to us. But what we can do is regulate our heart, and as we regulate our heart, our hand will follow!
Even if your situation does not consist of a major transition, our hearts need regular heart-checks to stay diligent and not grow weary with what you have already been given to steward. This is necessary to keep dancing in tune to His revelation and will keep the assignment and commitment to it fresh.
To dance to the tune of His revelation, we need to know our season. Once the commitment is clear, we can do what we can, and leave what we can't up to God.
We can do what the musicians did when they were singing in the book of Nehemiah as the wall in Jerusalem was dedicated, and praise was sung to God. It says that "the musicians were under the king's orders, which regulated their daily activity." (Nehemiah 11:23 MSG)
Let's in the same way let our daily activity be regulated by our King's marching orders! Let our hearts be aligned with Him and are hands will automatically follow. We are most safe living in His will, in His way, for His glory.
Let's adjust by listening to the Holy Spirit, by changing wineskins and by doing what we can, not what we can't as we regulate our heart and hand to dance to the tune of His revelation.
Love,
Sandra.
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For the singles in waiting... 🌹🌹🌹
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlpH-XEz9H0
To watch the message, click above⬆
To read the message, continue below ⬇
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Today is the day where chocolate boxes are given, instagram flows with sugary updates in honour of significant others' and the flower shops are booming with red roses ready to be bought! It seems like Valentines' Day has come to stay in Denmark. Waking up to this reality can be hard if you know the only red you will see today is the Netflix logo on your computer screen...
Being serious though, many hearts are aching in the midst of the celebration of love because a longing unfulfilled does make the heart sick, as Proverbs teaches. There is so much that could be said on this topic. So many broken hearts too. Every story individual. For some, past relationships that have not worked out will come to mind. For others, the fear of missing out on a great relationship and marriage is triggered. Others again might just be annoyed by the idolisation of romantic relationships in our society. Wherever you land, know you are seen and cared for.
Below, I will speak to those who desire to wait well for the right relationship that can lead to marriage, despite their past failings, and to those who need encouragement on that journey. <3
'Cause how do you wait well, even when the longing for marriage gets delayed? How do you cultivate contentment on a day like this and gather strength for the days ahead that are unknown, untried, undefined?
Well, I definitely did not wait perfectly but I can share for my experience since my season of singleness is over and I know what helped me. And when I'm thinking back on that single girl I was before I started dating my now husband, Lasse, a few things come to mind I would encourage her with.
So read along, single ladies, and here you go - virtual roses for you because you are a ravishing, ransomed & royal princess daughter of the Most High King! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Three points on what a royal daughter like you does...
- A royal daughter represents her kingdom well 👸
With this revelation lived out, you will already have a kingdom, a home, and a family to steward, while it isn't your natural one you are nurturing just yet. To represent the kingdom of God well, immerse yourself into the big, beautiful family you have in the body of Christ, and then you see in time how God will be faithful to your hearts' desires. Don't be busy attaining a new family. Nurture the one you already have. Make friends. Cultivate the ones you have. Be a blessing. Be an encouragement.
A princess represents her kingdom well by living by the word of God, and with her words, thoughts and actions point to him as her hope and anchor, not a relationship status.
Does that mean she cannot date? Of course not. Unless she truly feels it is a sacred time to only focus on her relationship with the Lord, her character, gifts, friends etc.
So if there are prospects of you hanging out with a guy soon, here is what I would remind myself of looking back to represent the kingdom well in that situation: (this is not an exhaustible list at all)
- Kindness - This is a good remember as it can sometimes be easy to be arrogant or not wanting to give anyone a chance for some of us girls. There are definitely guys you don't need giving a try hanging out with - If he is not loving Jesus or his life is not bearing any fruit of the Spirit and repentance, it will be a heavy dance being unequally yoked, and why then even go down that road and drink that coffee? As a princess representing God's kingdom, I would say your time is valuable and needed more important places. But kindness, always.
- Clear intentions - This takes bravery but is a blessing because it creates safety in getting to know one another when it develops to that place of hanging out on a one-on-one basis. (Group settings are an amazing, wise way to start out - group settings reveal a lot about a person) Also, it is a lie that there will be more butterflies to dating if "the game is played" and no words are revealed concerning the intentions of you two spending time together. I believe it is honest and respectful to the other person to set the intentions from the first time two of the opposite sex meet on a one-on-one basis and it can really avoid unhealthy attachments and heartbreaks due to different expectations. Lasse and I did that and it was a relief, and not at all boring after that. It was still very much an adventure getting to know one another even though we had made each other know we were checking each other out. Don't put the pressure on it that you need to know from the first time if this is something you could see progress. Just ask the other person for their intention of hanging out and be honest yourself without promising anything.
- Your body, your temple - The bible says it best: "Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body." 1 Cor 6,19-20 MSG. So practically, I will add to the verse above, be kind to your body by not seeking places of temptations while dating that will want you to go further than your inward and outward commitment to each other shows. Seek hanging out with others and seek public places.
2. A royal daughter takes responsibility for the welfare of others 👸
Use your royal position (you are in company with Paul and Jesus among others) of singleness to serve others in love. Look out for those who are having a tougher time than you are. It can help the victim mentality that can be easy to form. Seek out those other single friends that need a fun Valentines Day just like you!
I remember my Valentines' Days in 2014 and 2015, the two years before I got into a relationship with Lasse, as some of the funnest days of the year! One of the years I enjoyed the most delicious tapas with a girlfriend in her cosy student apartment overlooking Nyhavn while we also watched the Bible series and spoke life over another as we dreamt of the future.
With that I want to say, do what you need to do. Take initiative to make the day delightful instead of barely tolerable. Set a beautiful table. Buy someone ELSE flowers, like your mum or sister! Attend to your needs, and be brave also in asking someone else in needing your needs of company. If you don't have a sisterhood of girls, be sure to be the brave one to start building one. You can do this!
3 - A royal daughter knows she has a bridegroom already 👸
Yes, you are a bride already. This revelation will make you stand tall and confident, also without a ring on your finger. You belong to a kingdom (God's kingdom), you already have a home and a family (God's family) and you are already pursued by your bridegroom, Jesus.
🌹
A couple of months before I started dating Lasse, I was completely unaware of what awaited me. I leant into God and was probably enjoying my life more than ever, because I was at a place where I rested in the revelation that I have a bridegroom already.
As I was painting in my apartment a couple of days to get my creative on, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me that 2015 would be a year of surprises for me (the relationship a month thereafter definitely was). It would be a year of me exploring the creative more (I started writing, blogging and painting), and He reminded me that there was a door that might seem closed to me, but I needed to open it up. (the relationship with Lasse)
When God impressed these things on my heart, I was excited, but also a bit annoyed because I enjoyed my life so much. I was working a dream study job being a team leader at night reaching out to trafficked women, had great friends, felt really at home in my church, and I had just started to embrace my own creativity by writing.
My writing was actually what got my husband from being attracted and interested in me to begin actively pursuing relationship with me. Why? I think when we live being led by the Holy Spirit and start exploring our gifts and live fully, it is attractive. As we are stepping out and staying the path with what's in our hands, committed to keeping our hearts pure and alive, our life can preach abundance, fullness, contentment, overflow and greatness by serving, long before we are building that life with a husband. This will be such a blessing, as an inheritance claimed too soon is not a blessing in the end anyways, as Proverbs 20,21 teaches.
I will end with this:
Now, listen daughter, pay attention, and forget about your past. Put behind you every attachment to the familiar, even those who once were close to you! For your royal Bridegroom is ravished by your beautiful brightness. Bow in reverence before him, for he is your Lord!" Psalm 45, 10 TPT.
If you have not waited sexually or simply settled for a wrong relationship, listen to your Bridegroom's invitation above that's as new and dew fresh for you, His princess, today in 2019. The verse says forget about your past. Forget it! Let go! Deal with the hurts, get the help you need, and then move on. Put behind you every attachment to the familiar, even to those who once were close to you! For your royal Bridegroom is ravished by your beautiful brightness. You are clean and forgiven.
Bow in reverence before him, for he is your Lord, not your past.
God knows the desires of your heart! He is working on fulfilling them in the way He knows is best for you.
Reflect on:
- What desires has God already given to you?
- How can you best use what's in your hand now to become the person of maturity you want to be and meet?
- What prayers do you need to form now to turn worries into worship to get through this season well?
- What is your one healthy next step towards contentment where you are now?
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Enjoy Valentines' day,
Sandra.
If my journey could teach you anything...
Here is the full length video with the content of what I shared at Sisterhood morning in my local church, Hillsong Copenhagen this weekend. My journey is a testimony to that God is still in the business of setting everyday girls free from captivity in order for us to then free and serve others in bondage.
So if my journey (through eating disorders especially) could humbly teach you anything, then it would be this ⬇️⬇️⬇️
- Don't despise your own wiring
- We are freed to serve others in love
- Your years can be redeemed
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-HsLO9e4cA&w=560&h=315]
Thanks for watching!
If any of this spoke to you, and you have any questions, let me know. I would love to connect with you and also direct you to some great resources on the topic, if that's what you are in need of.
I love all our stories are still being written and that God brings beauty out of our ashes!
Let's live an overcoming life by being captives to Jesus and His victorious thoughts, and by being captivated by His love,
Sandra.
Scripture references in the video:
- Psalm 34,5 MSG
- Matthew 12 MSG
- Galatians 3,13 MSG
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