Author: Jacquelin Stoner

Jacqui is a writer, teacher, life coach, and an encourager. She walks alongside of individuals who need help navigating to the better place God has envisioned for their lives. She has discovered that God is central to genuine lasting life change.

IT WAS NOT RAIN THAT SMEARED THE WORDS

The print on the pages of Bill’s open Bible became a little smudged that day when my dear husband’s heart was broken

The first major death in my immediate family.  Four days previously my mom had dropped over dead in the church sanctuary. Now in that same room in which her heart had failed, we were having her memorial service.  Daddy asked my husband Bill to preach for the funeral. 

And so we began.  From my perch on the pew I could barely see Bill’s face.  The resident pastor gave the introduction.  It was then Bill’s turn to speak. He rose to the pulpit to commence giving the words he had worked so hard on. Understandably due to the strain, his voice was a little distorted. 

What Was That Noise

I then began to hear a kind of rumbling sound from the platform.  What was that noise?  I couldn’t hear Bill’s voice; there was just a long silence punctuated by that low choking sound.  Then it dawned on me.  My stoic husband was sobbing.  I had never heard him cry before. Grief was wracking his body. I prayed, “Dear Lord, please calm him down and give him the words.” Bill’s message was the only hope we had for the Gospel to be preached at my parents’ church where the Bible was rarely shared.  A miracle was needed.

WE QUIETLY WAITED AND WAITED SOME MORE

We quietly waited and waited some more.  The peace of God finally drifted down on my husband’s heart and mind. Bill took a deep breath and began to share about his mother-in-law Hazel and about the grace of Jesus Christ. The death, resurrection, and hope of salvation was clearly laid out for an audience who had rarely heard the Good News. 

IT WAS NOT RAIN THAT SMEARED THE WORDS

The truest words are those that have been pierced by the hand of God. The print on the pages of Bill’s open Bible became a little smudged that day when my dear husband’s heart was broken but the story of our Savior was clearly told.  “It was not rain that smeared the words.”

ARE YOU A TOTO?

Are you familiar with the expression “pulling back the curtain”? It comes from a scene in the movie The Wizard of Oz. Yegor Bugayenko writes: “the intrepid band of adventurers confront the seemingly all-powerful Wizard of Oz, who proceeds to unleash a bombastic tirade on Dorothy and friends. Only, the dog Toto ends up pulling back the curtain, literally, to reveal that the Wizard of Oz is nothing but an ordinary man in a machine.” 

I AM AN IDEALIST

By nature, I am an idealist.  I will always be a “Toto”.  Over the years, I often innocently pulled back a lot of curtains. To my surprise, I discovered individuals who have become lost in believing their own press, their own sycophants.  In their pride, they have become deaf to the voice of reason. Maybe some of you are also “Totos”?

THE RIGGED SYSTEM

I once worked for a large corporation.  Someone in charge had decided that a way to build up morale and teamwork was plan to celebrate an exceptional employee.  Quarterly, a committee appointed by company management, would decide who to give such an honor. A group of management would then parade to the employee’s cubicle, decorate it with balloons and give the individual their congratulations.  On paper, this seemed like a great idea.  However, over time, the committee kept repeatedly recognizing the same people and some of those winners were actually on the committee itself which appointed the winners. The system was rigged and bound for failure.

SOMETHING ROTTEN IN DENMARK

As a Toto, I often assume that if you tell someone that there is a flaw in something, that it will be exposed, there will have dialogue on it and resolution will be found. In the case of the corporation, I wrote the CEO an email regarding the program.  I assumed that he would want to know, as the saying goes, “there was something was rotten in Denmark”. 

THE FATEFUL MEETING

Within days, I found myself having to personally meet the CEO in his lavish office. His assistant ushered me in to the inner sanctum where for the next half hour I was informed by the CEO why the employee award program was a terrific morale booster. I had no idea going in that the program was the CEO’s own brain trust.  It was like I had attempted to murder his favored pet.

TOTO DISCOVERED THE WIZARD

I left his office a little dazed, not realizing that his long harangue was to be the same speech, word for word, that he was going to give at the next company quarterly meeting the following week. At the podium, he publicly patted himself on the back. However, within one year his morale booster hit the dust, being found completely useless in improving the company. “Pride goes before the fall”. Toto had discovered the wizard.

TOTOS ARE NOT POPULAR

In the Christian community, it is not fun to be a “Toto”.  We question inconsistencies, pet projects, and possible fallacies in thinking.  Totos are not popular, no matter how innocently we may enter a conversation with those in power.  I think being a woman Toto encountering male dominated leadership can be especially hazardous.

OPEN THE CURTAINS

As a Christian Toto, I pray, “God help us in these days of darkness and uncertainty.  Please open the curtains, let the Holy Spirit air out our hearts, and drive us to our knees. Expose those who are sadly lost in believing their own press, listening to their own sycophants.  Open their eyes to their pride, as they have become hard of hearing to the voice of the Holy Spirit.”  And so, little Toto continues to pray.

MY GROANINGS

Have you ever looked back at your prayer life and come to the realization, “I’m so glad that God didn’t answer my prayers the way that I wanted”? As early as I can remember, I found my identity in music – directing choirs, coordinating productions, coaching and teaching vocal students, and performing solo.  If you had asked me who I was, the word “musician” probably would have been in the first sentence. Then God slowly pulled me away, kicking and screaming, from that world. It was my season of groanings.

GOD WAS SHUTTING THE DOORS

Yes, I knew Jesus as Savior but I had no idea how I still fit into God’s plan. I felt robbed by God.  About 1/3 of my singing voice had departed due to overuse.  Due to arthritis, a lot of my instrumental skills were out the door.  With my eye issues, I even had trouble reading straight across a musical page.  What a mess! No matter how I prayed, God was shutting doors. It was not pretty.

HOW DOES THE SPIRIT PRAY FOR US

While I was groaning about this, God was patient.  I had fast lost patience with Him, but He still loved me, even though it took so long for my groaning to become God-centered instead of me-centered.  John Piper writes regarding Romans 8:18-27: How does the Spirit pray for us, is that He moves powerfully in our hearts to create groanings – His groanings experienced as our groanings – which are based on two things: 1) a deep desire and ache of heart that Christ be magnified in our lives, and 2) a weakness that leaves us baffled and unknowing as to how this is going to happen or should happen. So we are not sure how we are to pray, but we are sure that we want Christ to be magnified in our bodies.

GOD’S SPIRIT FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US

The Father searches our heart and he hears this groaning. He hears the Christ-exalting yearning in it, and He hears the Spirit’s clear intention that certain decisions and circumstances come about in the exact way that will bring the most glory to Jesus. One of the reasons this matters so much is that it means that in the very moment of some of our deepest frustrations, our groanings are the very work of God’s Spirit FOR us and not against us.

MY GROANS WERE NOT HIS GROANS

Daily, during that time, I commuted to work in tears because I deeply missed both music and the classroom.  The Holy Spirit heard a whole of groaning coming from me while I was making the drive to work.  God was not heartless.  God was not deaf.  However, my heart didn’t really want to hear God’s plan.  My heart was deaf.  I wanted the familiar; not the unknown. My groans were not His groans.

BECAUSE OF THE DOORS GOD SHUT

I’m so glad that He stuck with me as my Abba Father. I could never have imagined the life I have today because of the doors God shut. God has opened an entire new world for me in knowing Him better.  He has given me huge opportunities in writing. I even have the privilege to coach others in writing, seeing them grow into far better writers than I will ever be. One of my greatest joys is that I also get to work as a shepherd, helping to draw women closer to knowing the Good Shepherd.  God has given me a front row seat in seeing His hand mend lives in ways I could have never imagined. 

GROANINGS FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST

I wish someone would have told me these words of wisdom: experience the wordless groanings of your heart as groanings for the glory of Christ. And trust the Spirit of God to intercede for you about the specifics. Trust Him, that because He is praying for you, your Father will bring about decisions and circumstances that will magnify Christ in the best way – in the very midst of your ignorance and groaning.

FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US

I am strong willed, thick headed, and often dumb as a doornail, however God has plans that exceed anything we could even imagine. Would I want to repeat the seasons of intense pain? No!  However, they have been necessary for God to bring me into this new season, the best season of all.  I just had to realize that in the very moment of some of our deepest frustrations, our groanings are the very work of God’s Spirit FOR us and not against us.

GOD’S PLAN FOR A GREY AND RAINY DAY

The day was grey and rainy.  Perfect for staying in bed and shutting out the world.  No way did I feel like running towards life with a big enthusiastic grin on my face, eager to take on all its challenges.  Due to extensive pain, I could barely move.  It was a time in which I would have appreciated all the sandpaper people in my life to leave town. Why didn’t God’s plan line up with mine?

MY GOD IS A STEAMROLLER

Isaiah 45:2b-3 describes some of God plans for me: I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. (NASB)  My God is a steamroller smashing those things that cause me terror in the night.  He is a Bulldozer with a plan, despite my pain.

I ARGUE WITH GOD

Yet, it is disconcerting when I look at the last part of this passage. Verse 9: What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ That’s my whole attitude in a nutshell.  I argue with God when I don’t think that things are going my way.  I accuse God of bad planning. I have forgotten Who He is.

WHY DOES GOD ASK ME TO PERSEVERE

I don’t want to go through seasons of darkness; those times when life seems filled with more than a soul can bear.  Those periods when one’s faith (or lack thereof) is stripped to the core.  Why does God ask me to persevere? It is His promise: I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. There are untold riches that can only be uncovered by walking through the depths; through those seasons when we just don’t have any more strength, any more smiles, any more anything.

I TRULY GET TO KNOW WHO GOD IS

These difficult seasons are when I really get to know Who He is.  When I come to the end of myself and stop pretending that I am strong, smart and resourceful. That is when I truly get to know God.  The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.  Wow – He knows my name and He calls me even though He knows how frail I am.  The journey may not be pretty and the landscape may appear bleak, but I dearly want to know this amazing God, regardless of the pain and discomfort I will meet along the way. He really does have a plan. I guess it is worth getting out of bed after all.

A classic book that may lift your spirits: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tramp+for+the+lord+corrie+ten+boom+book

A podcast that may open your eyes: https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/todd-nettleton

HOW DO I GET UNSTUCK?

Just how did we drive the car over the parking curb?  The vehicle was wedged in so tightly that we could not clear the barrier. Yes, I confess I was the driver on that little side trip in Florida. We had made a wrong turn. I chose to stop at a tiny parking lot next to the shore so we could get our bearings. Concentrating more on the map than parking the car, I had pulled in too far and driven right over the curb. We were stuck good and tight. Repeatedly, I tried alternately putting the car into drive and reverse, but was making no headway. 

SEASONS WITHERING ON THE VINE

During seasons of my life, I have also found my spiritual life stuck, making no headway. The fruits of the Spirit that are to propel me forward: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control have withered on the vine.  I have lost them because I have decided that I am the better judge for what is best for me.  Because of my rotten judgment, I have become stuck, wedged on to a spiritual curb.

THE ANTIDOTE FOR DEEDS OF THE FLESH

This is not God’s best plan for believers to remain spiritually stuck. Galatians 5:16-27 lists many “deeds of the flesh”. Notice there is an antidote for each of them: the fruits of the Spirit.  For example, one can’t be faithful to God and sexually immoral at the same time. It is impossible to continue in impurity and indecent behavior if self-control and goodness are the filters for our minds.  Idolatry and witchcraft go down the tubes if one first loves God above all else.  Hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, and selfish ambition are not even on the table if love, patience, kindness, and self-control are our first response to pain.  I can’t sustain a fit of rage if the Holy Spirit is controlling the words that come out of my mouth. We are not to remain stuck in the deeds of the flesh.

WHAT DOES SPIRIT CONTROLLED LIVING LOOK LIKE?

What does a Spirit controlled life look like? Have you ever noticed in the Gospels that Jesus didn’t waste His time going around screaming at the Roman soldiers?  He didn’t throw that first stone at the woman caught in adultery. He didn’t move away from the dinner table when the tax collectors sat next to Him. He even loved His disciples when they were at odds with each other over who would be first in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus lived in an unlovable world.  The words that came out of His mouth and His behaviors were all fruits of the Spirit. Every single last one…

TAKING OUR HANDS OFF

Is it possible for believers to live this way, not mired in the deeds of the flesh? Galatians 5:22-23:But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Amplified Version) How do we become empowered by the Holy Spirit?  By taking our hands off of our spiritual steering wheels.  By refraining tearing down the throne of our “rights” and instead seeking the best for others. 

TO BE INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Isn’t that what Christ did when He gave up all the beauty and light of heaven? He chose to walk on this earth surrounded by people who didn’t believe Him, blasphemed God, made a mockery out of faith, and made the decision that getting rid of Him was for the better good?  Yet, He still loved us and gave Himself for us. He made a way so that we could not only become God’s children but be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  We would no longer have to listen to our own inner navigation systems which would steer us toward death.  We could have the navigation system of the Holy Spirit Who would direct us to life and all the lovely fruits of such a life.

THE SOLUTION

Has your spiritual life gotten stuck? Offtrack?  Maybe you don’t know how you ended up there, but you desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit to lift you out of that pit of deed of the flesh.  What’s the solution? Confess it, turn away from it, and ask the Holy Spirit for directions on how to live.  Since I have a God who got a rental car eventually unstuck from a parking curb in Florida, I know that we have a God Who can steer us safely into living holy lives.

For further reading: https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Gods-Word-Spiritual-Strongholds

Listen to https://compelledpodcast.com/search?q=Hannah%20Overton&f_collectionId=614a4f671d15f05a2a43bf52

LISTENING TO THE COACH

My youngest son was 6 years old.  He was new to both t-ball, the idea of playing on a team, and working under a coach. The rest of the other little boys seemed to be in the same boat. Doing our duty as parents, we sat on the bleachers under the blazing sun, watching the melee that always broke out whenever a ball was hit into the field.  Something was definitely amiss.  No child was listening to the coach.

a disorganized mess

Like a swarm of bees, the kids in the outfield rushed together, all in hopes of catching the ball.  They tripped over each other in their haste to cross the field. That didn’t count the players who were distracted watching the clouds in the sky or the bugs in the dirt.  It was a disorganized mess.  Concepts of the game, like having positions and certain responsibilities, were unknown to them. Working as a team was something that had to be ground into them for the common good.

many parts….one body

The little boys learning to play t-ball had trouble comprehending the phrase “many parts form one body”. For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ (I Corinthians 12:12, Amplified Version). Just like little boys on that t-ball team, the early Christian church also had to learn their positions, their giftings and how they could each contribute to the whole.

who is on the team

The Coach for the church is the Holy Spirit. He has made wonderful and powerful plans.  In His team, it doesn’t matter one’s background, social standing, or their confidence.  The only qualification for membership in God’s team is that a person has repented of their sin and confessed Jesus Christ as their only Savior. The blood of Christ has even given us team uniforms: the righteousness of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the One who bestows on us the gifting and training to play our positions on the team. No member is exempt from playing. 

god’s plan for the team

The church has never been intended to be a picture of those little 6 year olds running willy-nilly over the playing field, not understanding their positions, their giftings or the rules of the game.  Read I Corinthians 12:1-12 to get a glimpse of God’s plan for His team.

serving on the team

How does one discover their position and gift(s) for serving on the team?  Ask the Holy Spirit; after all, He is our Coach. Read deeply the Word of God, seek wise counsel and the prayers of other believers.  It is vital to have a willing spirit to serve wherever God leads you. 

willing to serve

The road to learning to serve can be rather bumpy and humbling. I have made many mistakes learning both what my spiritual gifts are and what they are not. All God has asks is for us to be obedient and willing to serve. 

start listening to the coach

Nothing is better than openly serving on His team.  Who knows what adventures He will lead you to? But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good. So, stop running all over the field and start listening to the Coach!

For further study: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/spiritual-gifts and https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-gifts.html

BARNEY’S LAST WORDS

Careful words come out of a careful heart. Where exactly was Barney’s heart?

The man approached me as I was standing in the back of the auditorium. I was exhausted as another long Sunday concluded with the evening service.  It was rare that Barney (we’ll give him that name) ever talked to me other than with impersonal greetings. I don’t know what prompted the words that were to come out of his mouth that evening, but I wish that he had ignored the prompts. 

I’VE DECIDED TO FORGIVE YOU

Barney paused, looked me in the eye and said, “I just want you to know that I have had hard feelings against you.  I’ve decided to forgive you.”  And then, he just walked away.  No explanation, no further details. His voice had been quiet, but his words shot an arrow through my heart.

THIS WAS A MAN I BARELY KNEW

I stood there, silently stunned.  What had I done or said to offend Barney in such a way?  Should I run after him and beg him for more information?  This was a man I barely knew other than from high school years ago. I didn’t know the adult version of Barney.  Should I just let sleeping dogs lie? Would further conversation just escalate whatever was going on in his heart?

WAS I JUST COLLATERAL DAMAGE?

In high school Barney had always been a little socially awkward, blurting out whatever he was thinking.  Eventually he had married a woman who was known to be emotionally volatile.  Maybe I had said or done something that got his wife cranked up and Barney had received the fallout? Was I just collateral damage?

HE WALKED AWAY WITH A SMILE

Whatever the reason for his remarks, it appeared that Barney had relieved himself of whatever was burdening him.  He walked away with a smile; free at last.  I didn’t share his elation.

BE CAREFUL LITTLE TONGUE WHAT YOU SAY

I wished Barney had meditated on these lyrics before he approached me that Sunday evening:

Be careful little tongue what you say
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little tongue what you say

EMPTY VESSELS MAKE THE MOST SOUND

Careful words come out of a careful heart. Where exactly was Barney’s heart? There is a proverb: “Empty vessels make the most sound.”  There may have been no trustworthy spiritual cargo in Barney that Sunday evening. Years later, I wish I had gotten the courage to run after him and ask, “What were you thinking?” But then, making no reply to Barney may have been the best reply.

THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME!

No longer were the words dry. God physically pulled me close and whispered in my ear. 

The young man was in his early thirties; the prime of his life. Everyone remarked on his eloquence, his love for the unlovable, his inability to lie.  Jesse’s friend were devastated when he was suddenly diagnosed with a terminal disease.  His death was not one of those Hallmark movies of quiet lovely goodbyes.  No, Jesse suffered terribly.  The end finally came.  At the service, hundreds of people went through the visitation line to pay their last respects. All those in hearing distance were shocked when an individual in line jumped up in the air with a fist pump and yelled, “Whoo-hoo! Jesse’s died!  This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”

PETER WANTED TO STAY WITH JESUS

That attitude of that one person in line is the mindset that Jesus was describing in John 16.  Jesus was trying to prepare His disciples for the coming days, the tumult of the coming crucifixion, the resurrection and the aftermath. However, the Apostle Peter simply did not want to hear it.  Peter was probably sticking his fingers in his ears, loudly humming and ignoring the words of Jesus.  His objections may have been: “So what’s going to happen to us? Things are fine as they are.”  Afterall, they had invested three years of their lives in Jesus.  Peter didn’t want things to change; he wanted to stay with Jesus.

THE MAJOR ADVANTAGE TO JESUS’ DEPARTURE

Despite Peter’s objections, in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, Jesus began to point out one of the major advantages to His departure – the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Advocate; Comforter).  All believers for centuries to come would be blessed even more by the arrival and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This far outnumbers the few who received the opportunity to live with Jesus during those three years.

THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO LOVERS OF JESUS

The norm of the disciples was to be afraid, awkward, self-centered, and immature before Jesus’ death and resurrection, .  After Jesus’ departure and the blessed arrival of the Holy Spirit in the upper room, believers became wise, loved unselfishly, gave freely and were courageous.  The difference was night and day.  We could rephrase the loud declaration at Jesse’s funeral to: “Whoo-hoo!  This was the best thing that ever happened to lovers of Jesus!” I wonder if there were some fist pumps in the Upper Room?

EVERY WORD OF TRUTH IS OFFERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Those in the Upper Room now experienced that the words of the Father which had been passed to the Son were now passed to the Holy Spirit Who then gives them to all believers.  This was a whole new playing field. Christ followers who walk by faith in obedience to the Father were now to be guided by the Holy Spirit in all truth.  Let me repeat – every word of truth which our Heavenly Father wisely decides we need He offers us by the Holy Spirit.  Whoo-hoo!!!!

GOD WHISPERED IN MY EAR

One of my most vivid memories as a new a believer was opening my Bible to read one of the letters to the Church of Corinth.  No longer were the words dry. God physically pulled me close and whispered in my ear.  All those words on the page, God now made alive to me.  This was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Whoo-hoo!!

THE BEST COMPANION/TEACHER EVER

The greatest thing is that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has had a broader and more effective ministry across the world to millions of believers than what the Apostle Peter could ever have imagined in his daily life during Jesus’ three-year ministry tour on earth.  Millions of us can yell “This is the best thing that has ever happened to us! We have been given the best Companion/Teacher ever – the Holy Spirit. Whoo-hoo!” Is there a fist pump out there?

WEAK, BUT STRONG

My responsibilities were exploding on my calendar.  How could I keep up?

When I entered this past September, I experienced great deal of panic that I couldn’t keep up with life or my schedule.  I was still dragging from the pulmonary embolism. My responsibilities were exploding on my calendar.  How could I keep up? I honestly looked at the month and quaked with fear. Facing my anxieties and handing all those commitments over to God, I entered the month.  I expected to end the month alive…..but barely.

THE GOD MOMENTS

This morning, Sept. 30th, I was taking a tally of the number of God moments which happened during the month. I was honestly blown away. God was my Provider, Sustainer, Fortress, Savior, Father, Comforter, Strength-Giver, and Source of all wisdom (besides many other things). 

I FELT LIKE I WAS PLAYING PING-PONG

One of my greatest concerns was that it was my month to I begin leading a new Writing With God session.  Every Thursday evening we would meet for class.  By the following Tuesday each participant was to send me their completed assignment.  I would then write in possible edits and notes and send a return email.  They often would send me a 2nd draft.  I read that submission and emailed back more possible changes. And so it went.  One eager participant loved to send me many drafts.  I felt like I was playing ping-pong.  It took a lot of thought, time, and grace to encourage and correct at the same time. 

WHEN I FELT MY WEAKEST, GOD STOOD FIRM

God was there.  Every moment.  Each week.  I was blown away at the gifting of the new participants and the growth in my regular students.  Their stories made me laugh, cry, and rejoice in their honesty.  What works of grace I was able to read and be part of.   To be able to witness growth in others is always such a bonus.  For me, the greatest miracle was that when I felt my weakest, God stood firm.

I AM HAPPY TO BE WEAK

I can bear witness to the testimony of the Apostle Paul.  He was undergoing a severe health issue which he repeatedly asked God to heal.  Paul wrote that in response to his prayers: He (God) answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me.  I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 9-10)

I testify that for me this past September, I was weak, but God came out strong loud and clear.

WHO CAN UNDERSTAND HOW POWERFUL HE IS?

He never reads instructions or watches videos. God just speaks and it is.

It was the pandemic. A lot of us were going stir-crazy. I looked around my living room and was bothered by a rather rough piece of furniture I viewed daily. There was no money to replace it so I thought “Why not refinish it?” I watched YouTube videos and read instructions on how to do the work. I redesigned it in my head.  Then I began the physical work: sanding, stripping it down, taking it apart, painting, and then adding the hardware and coats of sealant.  Never once during this time did I ever go to my back porch (that was my work area), sit there and expect a new piece of furniture to instantly appear.  I needed the materials, the ideas, the sweat equity and the hard work to put the piece together.

I AM POWERLESS

The Holy Spirit’s approach to creation is totally different than mine. He has the ideas, the sweat equity and the hard work, but He is so powerful that He speaks the words and it happens. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath [Spirit] of His mouth. (Psalm 33:6) God has never had to go to GR Mitchell for His materials. He never reads instructions or watches videos. God just speaks and it is. His words are limitless in their power: He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. (Psalm 33:7) I have never presumed that I could gather up all the oceans in a heap. I am powerless. Often, I have found plenty of furniture projects tedious and frustrating. The Holy Spirit has a different view of work. He doesn’t get burnt out in what He wonderfully creates.  He makes no mistakes, never fumbles, and whatever He does is awesome.  We are the ones that pour the refuse and junk on His creations.

CREATING A WORLD THAT WOULD GO SIDEWAYS

When our earth’s physical clock began ticking at creation, The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2) “Hovering” is the idea of a bird sitting in a nest, sitting and brooding over her eggs, caring for these new little lives. He cares. He cares eternally. Even then, He loved us, even though He knew He was creating a world that would choose to go sideways.

SOFT WHISPERS WE HEAR FROM HIM

If you want to know God better, I especially recommend you read John 38-42. Previous to this, there is one observation of Job regarding God that is spot on: His (God’s) breath made the skies bright and clear.    His hand wounded the serpent that glides through the sea. Those are only on the edges of what He does.    They are only the soft whispers that we hear from Him.    So, who can understand how very powerful He is? (Job 26:13-14 NIRV)

I AM CREATING FURTHER BROKENESS

God, The Holy Spirit, is hovering over your life.  He cares, even when your life goes sideways.  I have found it futile when I spend a lot of time reimagining my own life, stripping it down, taking it apart, painting with a big smile, and sealing it all under my own power. I can make all the resolutions I want, try my hardest, but I am creating further brokenness.  The only One Who can create truly new life in me is the Holy Spirit. He is hovering over me. Are you letting Him hover over you?