Rest and Restoration

I have been preparing to lead a retreat at the end of this month. I am so excited and God has been leading me in some amazing directions! As a result, I find myself fascinated by the story of the woman with the issue of blood. I am just drawn in by her story. I can only imagine how tired she must have been after bleeding for 12 years! She had no money - she spent it all on doctors with no success. She must have felt defeated and depressed. And yet, she was still able to muster up hope - hope that this man named Jesus could heal her.

One of the most moving parts of this story to me is something that is not explicitly addressed in the story here. But I still wonder what she must have been feeling as she reached out her hand. Did she hesitate to touch His robe? I remember a family vacation about 10 years ago where Daddy took us swimming with the dolphins. I was in the ocean with all of these dolphins just swimming around. They were beautiful! I was enthralled and exhilirated! They were swimming so close. I reached out my hand to touch one....but as soon as it came in towards me, I quickly withdrew my hand. Something about actually touching this creature was overwhelming. I wonder if this woman felt something of the same? Was she overwhelmed by His presence and hesitant to touch such majesty? Did she have any doubt in her mind that she was making the right choice? Was she crying? How were the people standing around her feeling? Did she notice their response to her presence?

I don't know the answers to all of these questions, but I do know that this weary, broken woman reached toward the robe of the King of Kings intentionally. She didn't accidentally show up where Jesus was. She didn't accidentally reach toward Him. She acted in a way that demonstrated her faith! I wonder how she felt after being acknowledged by Jesus. Was she exhilirated to be restored? Was she relieved to be free of her illness? I want to know just how well she was able to sleep that night and the nights ahead. Wow! What restful slumber she must have expreienced after this intentional encounter with the Lord.

I ask you to consider the following verse from Matthew 11:28. "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Come. That's all He asks. Make the intentional choice to come to Him. And receive rest from the Great Shepherd. We can rest knowing that our God never slumbers or sleeps (Ps. 121:4). We can rest in Him with full confidence that our intentional search for rest is found complete in Him! Hallelujah! (God's got me shouting at myself!Glory!)

Rest in the shadow of His wings sweet friends!
Psalm 91

(I would love to hear your stories of rest and restoration this week. I would also love to know who is reading. It's been so long. I like knowing which of my friends are letting me share my stories with them.)

Once Again

Friends,

The words that I post to this blog come from my heart. And they are planted in my heart by the Holy Spirit. He continues to teach so much! This blog serves as a way for me to process what I am learning and gives me the opportunity to share it with you. I want to encourage you if you are suffering or hurting. I want to rejoice with you at God's faithfulness and provision! God is so amazing!

Months ago, when I started writing here, I felt like I was a valuable part of the Kingdom. And then God called me to rest. Once He released me from that rest, I began sharing with you again. I felt like sharing my story and God's words with you gave my struggle, my "valley" purpose and meaning. God allowed me this time of sharing as a way for Him to encourage me....I am important to Him. I am still usable, regardless of my failures. He notices me. He loves me. His mercies are new for me every morning! And I needed to feel these things from the God of the universe!

Once again, however, He has called me to a season of rest. He is drawing me near to Him...reminding me to listen for Him, to slow down and deal with some new obstacles and mountains that have shown up on my journey. But I am still confident that I am not walking alone but in the footsteps of my Savior!

I pray that God releases me to share with you again soon. But I also know that He is calling me to this season of rest to prepare me for something I'm not expecting.

Blessings,
Casey

Being Filled

"Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

Deuteronomy 8:3


The story of Jairus' daughter is a familiar one. The young girl dies. Jesus comes to her and instructs her to get up. The girl immediately gets up and begins walking around. Jesus then instructs those around her to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:39-43)

After reading this story and considering all that Jesus did, I see this miracle as an example of the way Christ would have us live. You see, at the very words of Christ, the girl awoke. And it is at the words of Christ that we are redeemed, restored, and made whole - saved from our sins. And just like this girl, we should answer Christ's call with immediate obedience. As soon as she heard the voice of Christ calling to her, she acted! Shouldn't we respond in this same way?

But Christ didn't just get her obedience and head on His way. He saw her obedience and then instructed her to be given something to eat. He honored her obedience by seeing that she was filled. And He will also honor our obedience and see that we are filled. Filled by living on the very word of God. He left us His Word to make sure that we have an infinite source from which to be filled. This is exciting to me. Christ calls. We obey. He fills.

Christ calls us to something...a new job, a difficult conversation, a step of faith. And, if we are listening for His voice and seeking His will, we will hear it and obey. There is something about hearing God's voice and knowing that, however difficult the path may be, I am walking the road that God has called me to walk! Does this mean that I will no longer face trials or hardships? Certainly not. Christ makes that clear. But if we are listening for the voice of God, we will hear it! Knowing this only makes me want to spend more time in the Word, listening for more of God's voice.

You see, my obedience to Christ's call is naturally followed by a desire to fill up my heart with the "very word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." I get a taste of what it feels like to be intimately connected to the Creator of the universe, and I want more!

Getting into God's Word, digging in, going deeper not only strengthens our faith and our knowledge of God and His character; it provides for us an opportunity to hear the voice of God, the choice to respond in obedience, and the willingness to receive complete fulfillment in every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord!

Expectations

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you
and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3


This week I had an odd desire for home improvement projects. With two small boys under foot, that limits me quite a bit. So I bought a few artsy pieces to hang on the walls. I also changed the rugs on our living room floor. But it still wasn't change enough to satisfy me. So I decided to rearrange the living room furniture as well. I moved every single piece of furniture in the room. (And I think it looks quite welcoming now.)

Greg came home from work, hugged on the boys, had some dinner, changed his clothes, and checked his email. ALL of these tasks involve either being in the living room or walking through the living room. And my sweet husband was home for over half an hour before he noticed that I had completely changed our living room. He was sitting in our living room oblivious to the changes in his surroundings.

Don't we treat God like this sometimes? We just expect things to always be the same. And we are so busy looking for His answers to our problems, His hand in our lives, His grace in our struggles, that we completely miss out on the blessings He has already given us, blessings that are anything but ordinary. Just like my husband - sitting in the middle of the living room floor, oblivious to the obvious - aren't we often sitting right in the middle of God's grace and love, oblivious to His presence because we are expecting things to be the way they have always been? We ask and seek and pray with the expectation that everything is going to be the "same old, same old."

But what if we prayed with the expectation that God was going to move all of the living room furniture around? What if we stopped going through the motions and took the time to look around us? I'm certain that we would be pleasantly surprised by what we find. Not the mundane but the magnificent. Not the routine but the remarkable. Not the familiar but the fantastic. Not the simple but the splendid. Let's remember to pray expectantly - expecting God to respond creatively, lavishly, extravagantly!

Honestly

I've really been struggling with something to write tonight. I get so excited to share with you so much of what God is showing me and has been showing me in the last six months. And I still have many, many things in my heart that I want to write about. But tonight, I just can't seem to find the words.

I have been praying earnestly for the last couple of weeks for God to show me what to do next. What am I supposed to be doing with all that He is revealing to me about Himself and His word? How do I continue to trudge through this valley and bring Him glory? How do I continue on, day after day, to choose victory? Why did God show me victory and not give me healing too?

I don't have the answers to these questions. But I find encouragement in the words to Sam's favorite song:

I keep knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door.
I keep talk, talk, talking 'cause you answer Lord.
Won't be stop, stop, stopping so be listening for me.
I'm knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

Jesus doesn't say, "Pray and I might answer you. Knock and maybe the door will open." He says the door will be opened and He will answer us! I am having to trust that He does hear my prayers. And He will honor my sacrifices of praise. In the midst of everything that is churning in my heart and in my soul, I stand on the Truth! God is faithful!

And until He chooses to answer my questions, I won't be stop, stop, stopping! Because I know He answers, and I know that He is listening!

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I pray that something I have shared tonight has touched you. I pray that you may be encouraged by hearing of my struggles. You are not alone in whatever you are facing. God is listening. He does hear your prayers. Keep knocking, sweet friends! Don't stop! And I look forward to hearing of God's faithfulness to you in your struggles.

5 Steps to Victory - Step Five

"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you."

Luke 10:19


(Blogging from the beach....what a wonderful place to share with you this last step to victory! Looking out at the vast ocean and endless skies is the perfect reminder of the power of God!)

There isn't much that I feel I need to add to the words of Jesus in this verse. Many times, the Bible speaks for itself. And I think that is certainly the case here. We have authority over the enemy! We are not to allow ourselves to be victims to Satan's schemes and lies. We have a power, given to us by Jesus Christ, that will take care of any tactic the enemy may throw at us.

The power that we have over the enemy is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. It is the same power that parted the Red Sea. It is the power that healed disease, sickness, even death. It is amazing, Holy-Spirit power! And we can often get so bogged down in our struggles that we fail to utilize this most perfect weapon.

And one thing that really gets me excited is this: We have been given the power to tread over the enemy. "To tread" means "to trample or crush underfoot." It means to crush or to oppress. I don't know about you, but I certainly like those images: crushing Satan, trampling him to bits!

This final step that God shared with me about obtaining victory in my life serves as a reminder that I am by no means a victim of Satan. I am an empowered child of the King! I have been deemed worthy to receive this gift of authority. I have been called to stand against Satan, tread on his attempts to oppress me, and walk in the fullness of victory behind the Prince of Peace!

It is my prayer that you feel this same empowerment in whatever you may be facing. You do not have to play the victim in Satan's schemes. Call him out! Resist him! Stand on the authority that is yours! Walk victoriously in the footsteps of Christ! Follow Him out as He leads you in triumph over the enemy! Rejoice that you know the Truth....and the Truth will most certainly set you free!

5 Steps to Victory - Step Four

"Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little."

1 Peter 5:10


For the last ten days or so, I have been sharing with you the five steps that God used to lead me to victory. Today, is (obviously) Step Four. I just want to say again that these are the Scriptures that I have claimed to remind me of the victory I am promised as a daughter of the King. I pray that you find encouragement in my journey, but that you would also ask God to show you your own steps to overcoming obstacles...steps that are specific to your situations. It is an incredible feeling to be led by the Lord down a pathway - specially laid out for you - that leads to abundant life!

This verse from 1 Peter was shared with me in May. I had spent the last 12 months in a tailspin. I felt like a failure and a disappointment - to God and to my family. I was a mess inside and out. And then these words were spoken to me and my heart was pricked.

These words carry a promise - a promise of restoration and strength. But what stirred my soul was this: God Himself will personally fulfill these promises! I know that in my darkest hours, I would rejoice at the thought of being restored and strengthened. And I know that God can accomplish this promise with a single word. But the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings, Jehovah-Jireh is not only going to send us these things....He is going to personally deliver them to us!

I was set on fire by the thought that God would take the time to even bother fixing someone who was such a disaster. I had convinced myself that God only looked upon me with disappointment and pity. Surely I had messed up any chance I had at receiving anything from Him. But, not only was He going to establish me, restore me, strengthen me, and support me - He was going to do it in an intimate and personal manner. This gives me the courage to face the days and weeks ahead.

You see, we don't get these promises - this gift from God - until we have "suffered a little." God is not going to rush down and lavish us with these things just because we ask Him to. He is most certainly going to wait until the perfect moment...the moment that will bring Him the most glory.

Learning to trust God's timetable is difficult. But I am inspired by the words of Jesus in John 11. Lazarus is sick and word has been sent to Jesus. Instead of dashing to His friend's side, Jesus says, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." And even though Lazarus did die...the story does not end there! Jesus restores Lazarus! It is my prayer, that even in my darkest moments, I would be able to say with confidence and boldness, "It is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it!"

I am walking in victory, sometimes minute by minute...and even then falling very short most days. I still have a long way to go to complete healing. But I am clinging to God's promise that He will bring to me total restoration in His outstretched hands after I have suffered for a little while. And until the day that I receive His special delivery, I proclaim to you and to Him and to the world, that every panic attack, every tear, every failure "is for God's glory!" May Jesus be glorified in our weakness!