Today’s Readings:
Philippians 2:1-16
Isaiah 52
13 God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases him.14 Live a cheerful life, without complaining or division among yourselves. 15 For then you will be seen as innocent, faultless, and pure children of God, even though you live in the midst of a brutal and perverse culture. For you will appear among them as shining lights in the universe, 16 holding out the words of eternal life…
Philippians 2:13-16a
The Lord says,
Love Me well. Worship Me with a full heart. Don’t be half-hearted in the way you live. Live and love fully. Let worship be a full expression of what is in your heart and bubbling out. People who live fully are kinetic. Their enthusiasm and vigor and excitement is infectious. Don’t hide your life, your expression, your being under a bushel. Shine! Live out loud.
Live in the fullest expression of yourself. Stop putting a damper on your personality to suit what you think people expect or want or can handle. Live out loud. Live alive! Be vibrant! Stop this ho-hum living and this going through the motions life. What are you excited about? Be excited about it. What are you passionate about? Show your passion. Let it shine through. What are you angry about? Use your voice to be a productive force in channeling and expressing your anger for good. Don’t hide it. Don’t dampen it, and don’t just complain behind the scenes. Anger is a valid emotion. Use it. Don’t let it use you. Use it.
52 Wake up! Open your eyes!
Isaiah 52:1-2
Beautiful Zion, put on your majestic strength!
Jerusalem, the sacred city,
put on your glory garments!
Never again will the unclean enter your gates!
2 Arise and shake off your dust!
Sit enthroned, Jerusalem!
Break off your shackles of bondage from your neck,
you captive daughter of Zion!
How can you be a vibrant reflection of Me if you continue to fade into the background? No, I created you for life abundant! I created you to live out loud. I didn’t create you to be a wallflower and a black bencher. You are a mover, a driver, a voice. You are to look alive and be active. Wake up! Shake off the dust. Shake off the former ways and the former comfortable posture. Shake off old tendencies, and use your voice. Live out loud. Live fully. Love fully. Worship fully.
Let the dead pieces and the numb pieces and the hidden pieces come alive. Live loudly! Make your presence known! It is vital for this hour that people know that you are available, you are present, you have a position and you are a devoted lover of the King. Live out loud! These days of hiding in the background are done. In fact, I Am removing that wall that you like to lean on in the back where no one can see you. Where we are going, there are no walls! You must be out front, because that is the only place. Be the visible, vibrant, life-filled, hope-filled, future-filled representative of Me. Be the voice and the sound of truth and true reason, of Heavenly logic, and up higher thinking.
12 You will neither have to leave in haste,
Isaiah 52:12
nor will you make a frantic escape,
for your God, Yahweh, will go before you.
He will lead you each step and be your rear guard.
Chase hard and fully after the things I have called you to and put in your hand for this hour. You will catch them and subdue them; and you will stand victorious. Warriors need a fight to know and to trust the victory. Warriors need the fight to know what I have placed inside of them. I have purpose in the fight. So be in the fight. Be agile. Be powerful. Don’t shrink back, and don’t let the hits defeat you. You are a warrior, and I Am the Champion. I go before you, and I have your back. Whom or what shall you fear? Be in the fight. And keep fighting.
7 What a beautiful sight to behold—
Isaiah 52:7-10
the precious feet of the messenger
coming over the mountains to announce good news!
He comes to refresh us with wonderful news,
announcing salvation to Zion and saying,
“Your Mighty God reigns!”
8 Listen! The watchmen are shouting in triumph!
Lifting their voices together, they are singing for joy!
For right before their eyes, they can see
Yahweh returning to Zion!
9 Burst into joyous songs, you rubble of Jerusalem!
For Yahweh has graciously comforted his people;
he has become the Kinsman-Redeemer of Jerusalem!
10 Yahweh has unveiled his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations.
To the ends of the earth, everyone everywhere
will see the salvation of our God!
Rest when you can. Don’t pass up rest for more work, when rest periods present themselves. It’s vital to rest when you can, because the fight will be relentless at times and you don’t know when the next rest period will come. The cadence is uncertain in these days. The rest periods are part of My grace, so take advantage. Regain strength. Build up your inner man. Be refreshed in Me and re-infuse your heart with the joy and the hope that I’ve placed inside of you — your salvation in Christ Jesus, your Messiah and King.
These are unpredictable days. Be alive. Be a warrior. Don’t miss an opportunity to rest. Advance when I say go. The page will soon turn on this chapter, but for now, be truly alive and stay in the fight.
How to Respond
- Choose to keep the Lord first.
- Ask the Lord to help you shake off all of the things that are hindering you from living and loving fully.
- Ask Him to help you live out loud, not withdrawn and not toned down any longer.
- Ask the Lord to show you the place and the fight He has you in for this movement. Ask for the strength and the grace to stick with it.
- Seize the opportunities to rest and be refreshed when they come.
- Fine tune your hearing to the voice of the Lord, so you can act quickly when He speaks.
- Declare that you are a warrior and the Lord is your Champion. The victory is already won!
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