Captured

 

Hello dear friends and quiet followers,

It's a new week and I have more to say..so here I go again...

Yes I had another revelation of sorts. Over the last couple of years I have felt the Lord speaking to my heart; encouraging me to let go of things...my busy life...to slow down...to re-focus...re-prioritize.

It's taken a lot of work, internal and external. I've asked myself these questions, why would God want me to slow down? Why would God want any of us to slow down?

The 'slower' our days are, the more peaceful we are. We're not rushed, not overly stressed and can think more clearly. We need a calm mind to be able to hear from the Lord well. We need inner peace to focus on the Lord; to go through our day speaking to Him and more importantly listening to Him. In our roles as Mothers, Wives, Sisters and Friends, the closer we are to the Lord, the more we have to impart to others, to help them in their daily lives. 

We live in a media driven world, our phones are never far away. and many of us have multiple social media accounts. But why do we feel we need this level of interaction with the world? Once people only received news via a newspaper, or through a letter from a family member or friend and that was all. 

We wouldn't necessarily know about everything going on in the world. We didn't normally hear about every catastrophe, every war, every misfortune, every scandal. We didn't, and we don't need to. I believe it overtaxes our nervous system. Well I can only speak for myself and it does do this to me. Many many years back I felt the Lord say to get rid of the television in our home. I called it the 'uninvited guest', bringing all it's horrors and ungodliness into the home (even adverts). So we did. But I think we just replaced it with the computer.  Still there is more control this way and we are very particular about what we watch.

Still, for me, I want my life to be closer to the Lord. I want Him to have my whole heart. I want to hear from Him and encourage others to do the same. Slowing down has helped greatly with this,

Our world today is filled with doom and gloom. People are running around like 'Chicken Lickin' thinking the sky is falling down. And while we are living in uncertain times; this is nothing new. People have lived through a lot worse than what we are currently experiencing. So what do we do?

Personally I have always strived to keep a large pantry. This serves us well, because if we need to save for something unexpected (like roof repairs), then I can just cut back on my grocery expenditure so we can save some of the food money, and instead of purchasing more groceries we just eat from the pantry and freezers. I didn't go and get a big grocery shop for a month just recently and we managed just fine. I just purchased fruit and milk. We also, as you know have a large vegetable garden and many fruit trees. This all helps. I believe in that old adage: 'God helps those, who help themselves'. He expects us to do our part. Although !!! having said this, I  know a lot of people are just living week to week and find it very hard, if not nearly impossible to buy anything extra. So I'm talking just a bag of pinto beans, an extra can of green beans, a bag of rice etc...just as you can...in a simple way. We don't need to be obsessed by the current situation; just make a little plan and work away at it.  Ultimately God is our provider and our trust is in Him.

When I read my bible, I see that hard times are just part of life. God doesn't promise us an easy life, He just assures us that He will never leave us. This scripture spoke to me this week: 

Habakkuk 3: 17 -18

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

This verse reminds me that no matter what is happening in the world, or in my own life, whether it be good times or bad, I am to trust in the Lord, and let Him give me peace and be my anchor. If we have spent our life 'having oil in our lamp', being prepared for the Lord, giving Him our all, and our whole heart then we will be prepared for whatever comes in life. We don't need to go into a panic. Yes we should be informed and not bury our head in the sand, but if we take time for the Lord and let Him lead us, He will speak to you and help us in our time of need.

I believe one of the reasons the Lord has called me 'away' from the world, is for this very reason; so I can write, so I can encourage others to spend their lives focused on the Lord, developing a deep relationship with Him, so they will be prepared internally and externally for whatever may be coming next. Yet, we do not fear - we just trust and let Him lead.

This is what he laid on my heart just yesterday morning. I will close with it and pray you all are encouraged by it. Have a blessed week ~ Linda

God gives the power and the strength

that is needed for each new day.

If we are wise we will walk in

that strength and not in our own.

If we are wise and attentive to the Holy Spirit

we will let Him lead us, we will listen

for His voice and gentle guidance.

If we are wise, we will tread lightly on this earth,

and hold onto what we own loosely,

as this world is not our eternal home,

and we take nothing with us when we leave,

but the spiritual acts of love we showed to others.

That in deed will go before us, and will be

stored up as treasures in heaven.

O that we would walk hand in hand 

with Him each day.

Lord set our eyes and hearts on

what is eternal and pleasing to you.

Amen

~~