Waiting in the Wings

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

Tag: Scripture: 1 Corinthians

Worth the Price

Eyes of Mercy” by Meghan Williams of Dyed4you Ministries

Isaiah 53:5 (VOICE) But he was hurt because of us; he suffered so. Our wrongdoing wounded and crushed him. He endured the breaking that made us whole. The injuries he suffered became our healing.

By design, I operate in the gift of mercy. However, I admit that the person I find it hardest to have mercy on is myself. Other than God, I alone know the depth of my sin. I know my record. I cringe when I see that the thoughts of my heart do not align with the heart of God. Unfortunately, harboring unforgiveness and contempt towards myself is a practiced behavior.

And yet, to be an intercessor, I know all too well about the power of Christ’s atonement. I know that the blood of Christ covers every sin, and it covers them completely. Therefore, my transgressions before God are erased because love keeps no record of wrongs. The battle against sin has been won. My true struggle is making a conscious choice to see myself the way that God now sees me; I am in the image of Christ, a perfect, blameless, and beautiful creation of the Eternal One.

One day, as I found myself struggling with self-condemnation, I asked the Father why I always find it so hard to receive His grace and forgiveness for what I view to be my shortcomings. I also recognized that I was prone to making a mountain out of the molehill of my wrongs.

“You have a fear that My grace is going to run out,” the Father said.

I frowned. With my head, I knew that Scripture states that God’s grace is sufficient for us. Christ’s sacrifice will always be enough. We will never run out of grace. And yet my heart struggled to accept this truth. The Father was right—I walked around with an unconscious fear that I would one day reach the end of His grace. Somehow, I felt like my past sins left me little room for error in the present.

“I guess every time I see where I’m falling short, I also see that there’s a cost,” I said. I found it hard to be patient with myself when my inability to conform to Christ’s image required constant atonement. It seemed like the Cross was that much nearer, and I felt like I was constantly adding another stripe upon my Savior’s back.

“Yes, it does cost something,” the Father said, agreeing with me. But then, in the Spirit, I could feel His love wrap around me, almost like He was picking me up and gathering me into His arms. “But just think about it—when you really love someone, do you ever think about what it costs to love them? Are you keeping a tally, afraid you will run out of love to give them?”

I smiled, reflecting on how easy it is to love someone in their brokenness when I am operating in mercy. No, I never think about the cost. When you love someone, they are worth the price. All I can think about is how much I love that person. And in that moment, I could understand that God felt the same way about me. I could understand why He is so patient and long-suffering in the face of my brokenness.

Yes, there is a cost for our past and present sin. A price was also paid to heal us of soul wounds that others may have inflicted upon us. New mindsets and healing don’t come overnight, no matter how much we wish they did. But God’s grace is enough for us. In fact, in light of the Cross, His love is extravagant. Through the atoning transaction at Calvary, Christ demonstrated with His death that our redemption was worth the price.

1 Corinthians 13:5-7 (TPT) Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (VOICE) and finally He said to me, “My grace is enough to cover and sustain you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” So ask me about my thorn, inquire about my weaknesses, and I will gladly go on and on—I would rather stake my claim in these and have the power of the Anointed One at home within me.

Reign of the Eternal

 

“Forever Bloom” – by Meghan Williams, Dyed4you Art

1 John 4:13 (VOICE) How can we be sure that He truly lives in us and that we truly live in Him? By one fact: He has given us His Spirit.

In a vision, I saw the Father shaking a sunflower over His child. Water droplets fell from the sunflower and upon the childlike rain. I sensed that the essence of the sunflower was transferred into the water. Therefore, it was clear that the essence of the sunflower would saturate the child that the Father was sprinkling.

Symbolically, sunflowers allude to “son-flowers,” those who are growing up into fullness in the Spirit of Christ. In my vision, the sunflower in the Father’s hand was symbolic of Christ, His firstborn son. Christ is God’s chosen mediator of the new covenant. Those who are in Christ have been sprinkled with his blood, the blood of the covenant (Exodus 24:8, Hebrews 12:22-24). The blood of Christ brings absolutely atonement—or, one could say, it brings at-one-ment; it unites us forever with God. Yet the covenant also gives us access to the outpouring of Christ’s Spirit (which is often symbolized as rain or oil). The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of unity with the Creator, the very force that connects us to God.

The vision of the sunflower immediately reminded me of a pun that God often speaks over me, “I’m going to rain on your head.” It is a line from a movie, but when He says it, it is layered with spiritual life, significance, and a fiery love. It doubles in meaning as, “I’m going to reign on your head.” When God speaks this phrase over me, He is calling to mind the irrevocable words of His covenant and reminding me of my eternal bond to Him.

Rain held great importance during biblical times. As an agriculture society, they were very aware that their lives depended upon God sending the rain in its due season—the former and latter rains that would water the land. Rain was a sign of the blessings of the covenant, a provision in the marriage agreement between God and Israel. As Israel remained faithful to the covenant, God’s covenant blessings would flow to sustain them.

With the coming of Christ, the outpouring of the Spirit was connected to the “former and latter rains.” I can say without a doubt how essential the rain—or reign of the Holy Spirit has been in my life. The Holy Spirit waters my soul with words of truth from the lips of my savior. Through the Spirit, Christ reminds me that I am His and He is mine. Regardless of whether I feel connected to Him or not at any given moment, He isn’t going anywhere.  I’m never lost, even if I may momentarily feel that way in the chaos of life. God’s covenant promises to me are rock solid. 

Even more, because I follow Christ and obey His voice, the blessings of the covenant are ever flowing to sustain me. When I dig deep into the Spirit, do not lack anything that I need. I am completely saturated in the love, character, and dynamis power of Christ. He is infused into my DNA! As Christ renews my mind, my ways and my thoughts are transformed until they reflect His. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:16, I have the very mind of Christ.  

So when God is reminding me that He is raining or reign upon me, truly it means that, as I embrace the rule of His Spirit in my life, He truly is reigning through me. Like a sunflower that soaks up the sun and the rain, God’s Word and God’s way holds everything I need to navigate this world. My greatest desire is to yield to the Spirit in my everyday life and allow Him to work His will through me—on earth as it is in heaven.

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (NKJV) ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.

Psalm 133:1-3 (NIV) How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Make Room for My Kingdom Reign

 

Matthew 6:9-10 (TPT) Pray like this: ‘Our Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is fulfilled in heaven.

Beloved, you know well the importance of intercession. You have seen the fruit that comes from taking every matter before Me so that I might move on behalf of yourself or others. Yet even now, I am calling you to a higher level. I call you to pray with a heart that is set on drawing the Kingdom of Heaven upon the earth. Pray and be open to hearing My swift response.

Just as a construction worker cannot build without plans from the architect, neither can My Body build the Kingdom without the plans that come from My mouth. Pray and keep your ears open for those plans. I will pour out Kingdom directives in response to your petitions—and at times, I will speak before your prayer has even left your mouth. My plans will surprise you, beloved. I will respond in ways and with instructions you have never considered before. Therefore, make room in your heart for what has previously been unknown. Pray and make room for My Kingdom Reign.

Truly, intercession is part of the Keys to the Kingdom. In order for you to know what to loose and bind on earth, you must maintain a receptive connection to heaven. Therefore, lean into My Spirit, for it will guide you in how you ought to pray. Live your life as a house of prayer, keeping the lines of communications open with Me always. Remember, prayer was never meant to be one way—it is an open conversation between you and I. As you make room for a constant and robust dialogue between heaven and earth, you will see My Kingdom manifest in surprising and joyous ways.

Isaiah 65:24 (NKJV) It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.

1 Corinthians 2:9-11 (VOICE) But as the Scriptures say, No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and it has never occurred to the human heart All the things God prepared for those who love Him.

Healing Oil

Luke 8:43-48 (TPT) In the crowd that day was a woman who had suffered greatly for twelve years from slow bleeding. Even though she had spent all that she had on healers, she was still suffering. Pressing in through the crowd, she came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel of his prayer shawl. Instantly her bleeding stopped and she was healed.

You have grasped at the hem of My garment, and now flows forth the healing oil of YHVH Rapha. What was once broken in you is now healed. Arise and go forth, Beloved. Fly with might, armed for battle with the new wings I have given you. Indeed, your rebirth has come through many trials and tribulations. You are now a new creation, made in My image and likeness. Therefore, walk boldly in the power of My Spirit and in My authority. I send you into the world to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.

In this fresh flow and impartation of My Spirit, a new song will flow from your lips. This song will glorify Me and prepare the way for Me in the earth. My heart—the heart of your Bridegroom—is at the center of everything that you do. You will speak with wisdom, tender love, authority, and encouragement to those who ache for the hope of new life. The healing oil of My Spirit will drip from your lips, and it will fall upon and mend the wounds of every heart that you encounter.

My Bride, you are loved. You are treasured. You are healed. Most of all, you are empowered through Me. As I continue to renew you day by day, give unto others as it has been given unto you. Just as I impart My Spirit and My healing to you, you are commissioned to do the same for others. Now, go forth, clothed in My might and My love, and filled to overflowing with My Spirit!

Mark 16:17-18 (VOICE) And these signs will follow those who believe: they will be able to cast out demons in My name, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink poison without being harmed, and lay their hands on the sick to heal them.

1 Corinthians 12:7-9 (VOICE) Each believer has received a gift that manifests the Spirit’s power and presence. That gift is given for the good of the whole community. The Spirit gives one person a word of wisdom, but to the next person the same Spirit gives a word of knowledge. Another will receive the gift of faith by the same Spirit, and still another gifts of healing—all from the one Spirit.

Fresh Focus

1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMP) For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].

Beloved, I’m going to reboot you. I am going to restart your mind and your thoughts. And with this reboot I will renew your vision and give you fresh focus. Do not become discouraged, ashamed, or disappointed because of the distractions that have been causing you to lose focus. Yes, the whirlwind of the enemy has been swirling around you and it has been difficult to see. And yes, it would be easier if the distractions he throws at you were removed. But I declare that My grace is sufficient for you, and My strength is made perfect in your weakness!

Know that you are in a learning process at this time. I am teaching you how to close your eyes to the earthly realm and instead fix the eyes of your heart towards Me at all times. The gift of My vision and divine insight is always available to you by the Holy Spirit, but you must accustom yourself to seeking My mind first. I AM to be your default setting.

Man’s thoughts are not My thoughts, neither are man’s ways My ways. Your feet may be upon the earth but I call your mind to continually dwell with Me by the Holy Spirit. So, whether the world around you is at peace or in chaos, I have made the secret place available for you at all times. Abide in Me so that you will always have clarity of sight and peace of mind. Focus upon Me alone, Beloved, and fully rely upon My strength, support, and faithfulness as your Good Shepherd.

Isaiah 26:3 (AMP) “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].

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