Today’s Readings:
Psalm 112
Matthew 3
Matthew 16:13-28
Isaiah 51-52:2
What appears humanly impossible is more than possible with God. For God can do what man cannot.
Luke 18:27
Simple Pleasures Are Not Far From Here
The Lord says,
The simple pleasures of life in Me are not far from you. They are not out of reach. They are in close proximity and they are attainable and free. You can find paradise in Me, in nature, in adventure, in rest and relaxing. It doesn’t require great expense or time to get to a place of communion with Me, a place of enjoyment in Me. Heaven is near. My Kingdom is near. We are nearly there.
We are so close, but you have to do more than desire to get there. We have to go, so pick up your cross and follow Me. I Am taking you to a place of simple pleasures, of purity and simplicity, not filled with excess. I Am taking you to to a place where beauty is found in simplicity, to a place where you can breathe deeply again, a place where you have great gratitude for the fullness of life found in Me. The former things won’t hold an attraction. They won’t hold a pull of desire in your heart any longer. You will find simplicity, fulfillment and pleasure in Me, in this place we are going. It’s just down the road from here.
Finding Fulfillment in the Lord
The Lord says,
As you keep your eyes focused on what I Am doing in your life, where I Am bringing you, and what I Am calling you to, you will find great fulfillment and joy. The desire to look around at what others have or are doing will disappear. This is a time of return to family, return to community, to celebrating each other’s victories and cheering each other on. This is not a place of unhealthy competition and keeping up with the Jones’. This is a time of all boats rising, of love and unity and genuine affection for family, friends, and neighbors – even strangers. This is a place where all boats can rise.
It’s a matter of picking up your cross and following Me. It’s a matter of shedding those things that don’t serve you — the baggage, the hurt you hold onto, the dysfunctions that have become a crutch. It’s time to shake these things off, pick up your cross and follow Me. Walk with Me. Follow My lead, and I will lead you into all righteousness. I will lead you into paths of joy and life and fulfillment.
Quick obedience and a heart that beats in time with Mine — these are keys to that Zoe life, that life lived in the fullness found in Me, in partnership with Me. This is a place of great riches and authority — both spiritual and physical. I Am the God who blesses, who gives only good gifts, who serves, who loves, who bows down and speaks to you face to face. I Am a personal God who intimately knows the desires of your heart, and I long and will move to fulfill them, in partnership with you, as we walk into this new place and time of simplicitity, of joy, of communion and unity. This place and time will also be marked by personal sacrifice willingly made.
This all sounds disorienting and different and impossible. All things are possible in Me, and I move to do the impossible as I please. Great things and big changes are in store for those who love Me and who are called according to My purposes. Expect great change in how you conduct your life and what your life and priorities and day-to-day looks like. Great changes are coming to all of these, but it will be for your good, for your profit, and these changes will bring you to a place of finding fulfillment in Me. It will not look like what you expect. But it will be wonderful — more wonderful than you could have imagined. Rest in the Me. Find fulfillment in Me. Find joy in Me. Find healing in Me.
How to Respond
- Sit with the Lord and have Him help you examine your life – especially the things you are holding onto that no longer serve you or will not serve you in the next season.
- It’s time to get rid of any bitterness, anger, hurt, frustration, irritations, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy mindsets, anxiety, stress, and obsessions. They have no place in the next season. Sit with the Lord and ask Him to help you identify and get rid of these.
- Surrender your future, your plans and your expectations to the Lord. Tell Him that you trust Him to do more and better with your life than you could think, dream or imagine on your own.
- Declare that the Lord is bringing us to a new place, a new season marked by great increase and fulfillment in Him.
- Ask the Lord what picking up your cross and following Him looks like for you.
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