"Use The Oil You Have"

Last week I wanted to bless a couple of my friends. These women and I meet on a regular basis and have shared our hearts, hurts, joys and hopes with one another. The three of us are walking some new, uncharted paths and I just wanted to show them, in a tangible way, that I love them and care about them. As I shared that desire with Holy Spirit, I related that I had no money to buy anything for them. Of course, He knew my situation and had put the desire in my heart to bless them! He also had the answer - "Use the oil you have"! Remembering the stories from I Kings 17 and II Kings 4 of the prophets, Elijah and Elisha, being fed by the widows with their last little bit of oil and flour, I knew what I was to do. Going through my pantry and freezer I was able to make them some goodies. I believe they were blessed - I sure know I was!

I have mused over Holy Spirit's statement this week because I believe there is a deeper lesson to be learned. Many times I have not done something to help someone, not been available because I didn't think I had "what it took" to meet that need. Oil is symbolic of anointing in Scripture, so the statement could be interpreted to mean, "Use the anointing you have." When we operate in the anointing of Holy Spirit we have whatever it takes to meet the needs of others. The oil flowing from Holy Spirit's bottle doesn't run out as we stay connected to Him. We are supernaturally enabled to meet the needs of others when we use His oil! Flowing from His anointing oil is healing, teaching, mercy, love, grace, forgiveness, preaching, helps, and joy! Wow! What a difference we can make if we start using the anointing oil we have, rather than focusing on what we don't have! We have everything we need to make a shining (oil is greasy, remember) difference in our world - everything! So... are we willing to use what we have and let our extraordinary Father turn our "little" into much for His glory? I say, "YES"!

"Use The Oil You Have"

Last week I was wanting to bless some friends of mine. I love to give gifts, that's my strongest love language, and I had no money to buy anything for them. I shared my desire with the Father, of course, He's the One who put the desire there in the first place. I told Him that I wanted to do something for them and didn't know what to do. Holy Spirit simply said, "Use the oil you have"! I remembered

"Why, Oh Why?"

This was the title of a dear friend's email to me earlier this week. She wanted to know why our faith in the Father is so tested and stretched. Knowing some of the trials I've gone through and some I'm currently going through, she was asking for some wisdom and prayer support. I can only give what I have, so this was my answer. Any wisdom I've gained has come through my journey with Abba Father and my relationship with Him

"We are tested and stretched because He has more in store for us than just "easy" faith! Remember, if we can see it in the natural, it isn't faith, its just walking in the natural. His desire is for us to know Him so intimately and to trust Him so completely that our lives won't become topsy-turvey if we don't "see" what we want or are expecting. I know you know this, but He is working to establish a knowing in your spirit that supercedes your circumstances! That's where true faith and true peace reside - in the knowing of Abba Father. I can relate to your cry and so can He. We have had no income for over a year and our home is in foreclosure. We have visions and plans that we believe the Father has given us, and yet, no concrete visualization of His provision. We haven't gone hungry, we have kept our utilities on and gas in our cars. At any point, the homes and properties we owned could have sold and rescued us from this place - it didn't happen. We are continuing to walk each day in faith, knowing that He has promised He won't ever abandon us or leave us defenseless. He hasn't! We don't see the way out yet, but we know its there and that it will be revealed as we wait on Him. I don't know all we'll have to walk through to get there, but I am convinced by His love and care over us, that we will get where we are to be to serve Him more completely than ever before. I can say, with that same assurance, that you will get through this place if you continue to seek hard after Him. He will take you and your family through, not around, but through, circumstances that cause you to cling to Him and learn to know Him more intimately as your Daddy Provider - Your More Than Enough! The journey through isn't to hurt or alarm, but to prove His love and character to His sons and daughters. Trust Him and let Him carry you through in His arms because they are there for you. Get excited about what He is forming in you, because He is excited and delighted about you!"

Just about everyone I talk with is going "through" something in their life that requires faith in order to make it through victoriously. I encourage you to meditate on Psalm 37 and meditate on Abba's love for you, His child! Be blessed by our extraordinary Daddy!

FREEDOM!

Freedom! We all want to be free. Free to do what we believe we were created to do. Free to love. Free to be unique. Free to soar. Free...

This week a beautiful dove entered our screened porch and couldn't find her way out. We opened the door so she could fly out at her leisure to no avail. After two days of trying to get out of the corner she was in, she was exhausted and weak. I tried to shew her out and she kept going back into the corner. Her feathers were all battered and torn from her stuggle and her strength was waning. The morning of the third day, (that sounds so biblical!) I enlisted my husband's help and gave him my recommendations for helping her. He tried my way one time and then took matters into his own hands - literally. He walked over to the dove, captured her in his hands and began to stroke her head and talk to her as he walked with her to the door. As he released her into her freedom, she left behind a bunch of battered tail feathers, and soared.

What a beautiful example of what often happens in our lives. We know we were meant to "fly" and yet we feel trapped in whatever "cage" we're in. It could be the cage of discouragement, the cage of fear, the cage of jealousy, the cage of inadequacy, or the cage of the unknown. We get stuck in that cage, whichever one it is, and can't find our way out because we keep battering against the area of the cage with no opening. There is a way out, a door, a window, an opening, but we're so accustomed to our "corner" we don't want to leave. We finally get so worn out, so battered trying to do it our way, our dream about to die, we go to the Father for His help. Even then, we try to give Him our formula for success in setting us free. He may let us have a go doing it our way and when that fails again, He takes matters into His hands! He picks us up in His hands, gently soothes our head and heart with His caress, speaks peace to our soul and releases us into our promise! What an extraordinary Daddy!

As I watched my husband soothe and quiet the dove with his hand and his voice, it was such a visual for me of Abba Father's care over you and me. Just like the dove, you and I have a way out of our "cages". I don't believe the dove would have been as easily caught the first or second day. It was only after she had exhausted her strength and schemes that she was ready to be picked up and helped by the master. Then and only then did she achieve freedom and begin to soar. I am learning to trust the Master's hand so I don't have to wait until my strength is gone to go to Him for help and comfort. I'm learning that His soothing touch and calming voice bring peace to my spirit and life to my dreams and purpose. I no longer want to live my life beating myself up by trying to make my own doors and windows. I want to live free to be all I am called to be by trusting Abba Father in all areas of my life. I am planning on soaring! So, make way - you hear my wings flapping?

The Heart of a Gardener

I am a gardener and I love to plant things and watch them grow and produce. Unfortunately, I did not inherit my mother's "green thumb" and some of my planted things end up in the trash heap. I love to plant and I love to water, but I don't like to weed and yet I have to do it (or my husband does!) in order to keep the plants growing strong and my gardens looking good.

I just recently planted some new herbs and tomatoes and was musing about my delight over their progress and how it reminds me of Abba Father and His care over me. I go out first thing every morning to see if the plants have grown or if new ones have sprouted up. I check my mature tomatoes and fruit trees to see if they have started to put on fruit. I get so excited to see fruit forming and new sprouts starting and growing. I carefully tend the "babies" and shelter them out of harm's way. The more mature plants can take the full sun and elements and need it in order to grow bigger and stronger and more able to produce fruit. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.

Our Father, or husbandman, watches over us with a similar type of anticipation and joy. He delights to see us growing and is constantly providing what we need in order to grow strong in Him and to produce the fruit of His Spirit in our lives. He carefully tends us, shelters us & teaches us how to remove the "weeds' that can stunt our growth and prevent fruit from setting. His joy in seeing us grow strong and healthy and bearing fruit is much deeper that what I experience with my plants, but I think He allows me a glimpse of His heart with my garden. I love showing off my plants to others and talking about what they're doing and how great their harvest. I love sharing the fruits of their growing with others and seeing them enjoy those fruits as well. I even love talking to those plants and praising them for a job well done at the different seasons - don't laugh, it works! What a picture of our Father and His joy in us, His plantings! I could go on and on with analogies, but I'll stop here and let you share some of your own with me. I'm so thankful for the extraordinary love of Abba Father for me!

Singled Out II

Well, I guess the time has come to attempt an answer to the Tozer writing from February 21st. I must admit, when I first read the piece I was uncomfortable with the words. Knowing that Tozer was not a "pussy-footer" when it came to his relationship with the Father, I had to delve deeper into his meaning than just a cursory reading. Please bear with me as I try to share my thoughts on Tozer's statements. I will try to follow his paragraphs in sharing my thoughts with you.

When we are called to a higher calling by God, we are expected to live lives above reproach. That means a greater discipline in all areas of our lives. The suffering Tozer talks about is, in my opinion, the result of dying to our flesh. The more we desire to be like Christ and to please our Father, we have to die to the natural man that desires his own way and own will. Christ showed us that example throughout His life and His death. The greater suffering He shared with us at Getsemane as He sweat blood in the agony of surrendering His will to that of His Father was a precursor of the suffering we would have to undergo in order to reach that same conclusion, "Not my will, but Yours be done". If we aren't willing to go there, we won't be able to go there to the place and purpose of our creation.


Tozer's second paragraph at first seemed harsh and frightening, but as I continued to ponder, became a wonderful picture of the work Father God has been chiseling and hammering in my life throughout the years. The times when I have seen the greatest growth in my spiritul life have been times when I've experienced the most pain. Pain caused by choices I made or others made, deeds done against me or mine, and especially hope destroyed and expectations trampled. Those things hurt fiercely, but brought the most change! I've learned how to love unconditionally, to trust God when I saw no reason to trust except for His Word to me and I've learned how to rest securely in the Father's love. It was worth the pain! Everything I have experienced is helping to form me into a thing of beauty for my Father and it has all been worth it!

I'm thankful that God, in doing His supreme work of grace within me, has removed things from my heart that prohibited my relationship with Him. This third paragraph isn't talking about God killing our loved ones or destroying our homes. It's talking about those idols that are where the Holy One is to be - first! He has shown me the idols that needed to be removed and helped me to remove them. Some were very precious to me and, yet, not anywhere near as precious as He is. We all have to come to the place of crisis where we make the decision to follow Christ even if it means all else falls or fails - I call it our "Crisis of Faith". Can we trust Him with EVERYTHING? If we can't, we trust Him with nothing. From the ashes of our idol treasures can come our greatest joy of knowing Him.

I agree with his fourth statement that true faith lies in the will, our will. It is a joy unspeakable as we experience our faith growing in a relationship with our Father. There is great stability in knowing that I am truly His child and that I can trust Him no matter what!

Tozer's final paragraph appears to be an indictment of immature Christians. There is so much talk about having peace about something and being joyful as believers. Most of that talk is often related to the desires of someone and the happiness they are experiencing. I don't mean to belittle those desires and happiness, but I believe it falls short of true peace in the circumstances and joy based on a faith walk with the Father.

So, let me know what you're thinking and we'll continue to sharpen each other in the faith. God's blessings on each of you as we remember our own Passover Lamb, Jesus, and the wondrous, glorious truth of His resurrection!

Singled Out

I read this writing by A.W. Tozer yesterday and it has caused me to muse again. Today, I'm sharing his words with you and then I'll share my musings at a later date when they have become more solidified in my mind and heart. I invite you to muse along with me and then share those musings with me so we can encourage one another. The writing is from A.W. Tozer's book, RENEWED DAY BY DAY.

"If God has singled you out to be a special object of His grace you may expect Him to honor you with stricter discipline and greater suffering than others are called upon to endure.

If God sets out to make you an unusual Christian He is not likely to be as gentle as He is usually pictured by the popular teachers. A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful.

To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be.

Thus you will learn what faith is; you will find out the hard way, but the only way open to you, that true faith lies in the will, that the joy unspeakable of which the apostle speaks in I Peter 1:8, is not itself faith but a slow-ripening fruit of faith. You will learn, too, that present spiritual joys may come and go as they will without altering your spiritual status or in any way affecting your position as a true child of the heavenly Father.

Then you will also learn, probably to your astonishment, that it is possible to live in all good conscience before God and men and still feel nothing of the "peace and joy" you hear talked about so much by immature Christians!"

So, dear friends, think or muse on these things and let me know what you're thinking. My inquiring mind wants to know!