“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making  away in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

She got out of the car and didn’t even look back. She waded into the crowd of students all standing around sharing schedules and reconnecting after the summer. Up to that point, my emotions had been fairly calm. The morning was a little stressful with various things like eye brows, lip stick and which shoes to wear and through all of that, I kept things calm and peaceful and kept breathing and praying. I was in charge of helping her with her hair and in the end, I think it turned out fine. She was happy and that’s really all that mattered.

Nothing about the morning was surprising. We drove to the school with no issues. It’s only about half a mile away from our apartment so it wasn’t much of a trip. What was surprising was my reaction when my daughter walked away from the car without even looking back. I burst into tears. Not like a little tear running down my cheek, I was a mess. I cried the entire way home and I cried for about another half an hour.

This transition is catching me by surprise. Other friends who have kids starting high school have been emotional about it and I haven’t been. I’ve been feeling relatively relaxed about it all and like it feels “right”. Up to this point, however, I’ve had a daughter who always looked back when she left the car and this morning she didn’t and that struck me. She’s taking flight and doesn’t have a reason to look back because she’s feeling secure in her ability to move forward.

Parenting is tough. It’s a long process of little steps that all lead up the day when our children leave us. I don’t think it’s accurate to say that our children will always “need” us, because the truth is that they won’t. I don’t want her to need me in her life as much as I want her to want me in her life. There’s a big difference. If I need something, it means that I can’t function well without it. My job as her mom is to make sure that she can function well without me because let’s be honest, statistically speaking there is a day coming when I won’t be here for her. If I want something, however, it means that I’m making a choice to have that thing in my life. I want her to choose me to be in her life.

There is a tension in letting go. How much do I release my grip and still keep her steady? When she walked away from the car this morning without looking back, I knew that I was letting go enough. She didn’t need to look back at me for reassurance, she was fully enabled to walk forward to her friends. We had prayed together in the car as we were pulling in and I had already prayed a blessing over her. She was able to walk forward in the knowledge that God was with her and nothing could ever change that truth.

The other tension in letting go is the further acceptance that I am alone. Yes, I have God and that is amazing but can I tell you that having God as your partner in life is challenging. I love God with all of my heart, soul and mind and I wouldn’t trade Him in my life for anything, but the fact is that I don’t have a husband so there is a loneliness to life. I don’t fill my loneliness with my daughter as some parents do. I’ve been that “best friend” for my mom and it’s not healthy. Yet, there is a comfort in not being physically alone in the apartment. Today I had a deep realization that I will be more alone in the coming years as she grows and finds her own path. My prayer is that I find more and more peace in God so that my heart feels less lonely.

My daughter stepped into the next chapter this morning the minute she stepped out of the car. There is a part of me that wishes I could have kept her in the car and that maybe, somehow, I could keep her from leaving. And yet, there was a deep joy and satisfaction in watching her confidently walk away. I felt like I could see the fruit of the choices I have made over the years of her life. I also stepped into the next chapter of my life this morning. I’m not sure what is planned for me but I know it is new. Change doesn’t usually bother me but this time, this change is unlike any other and it is requiring more faith than I expected needing. God is doing a new thing, I see it and I’m walking into it without looking back.

Shalom,

KA

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-10

Ah, the missional verse, the verse heard round the world as a call to international missions. While I greatly appreciate, love and pray for those folks called to the remotest parts of the world, I believe the enemy has used this verse, and international missions, to make the American church stall out here on the home-front.

How many times have you heard, or maybe yourself have thought, “I’ll follow God but I won’t go to Africa”? How many times has a missionary come to speak at a church and you walked out the door feeling thankful that God called them to missions and not you? How often have you felt like you’re meeting the Great Commission indirectly because you support an international missionary? How much value, if any at all, do you place on an urban or local missionary here in the United States? Do you consider yourself a missionary?

See, Jesus didn’t call out a couple of the disciples to be missionaries and the rest to be support. He didn’t tell us to elevate the international missionary and barely even recognize that urban/local missionary. He didn’t tell us that there is more value in a life that is reached in a remote location over one reached at a beach on the West Coast. Missional work is work for all of us regardless of where we are physically located.

Do you know what missionaries do when they are in a foreign country? They get a job, get into the community, build relationships and pray that God shows them how to reach people for Christ. They don’t ride in to a small village on a white horse, shower people with the gospel and watch thousands give their lives to Christ in a moment. They take whatever work skill they already have and put it to use in a community and seek opportunity to share their stories with those they are around. Guess what, that’s all of us every single day!

You are a missionary in your work place. You absolutely should be praying every morning, “Lord, today show me where I can share my story and draw people to you”. Jesus’ words in Matthew 28 start out with go. In the original text, this word (poreuthentes) means “having gone” or, “go, and as you are going”. As you are going about your normal routine in your normal community, make disciples. Making disciples is simply sharing your life, sharing your story and sharing your faith. It’s not up to you to save people, it’s up to you to show people who Jesus is and He will save them.

Yes, there is definitely a vocation called, “missionary”, and I wouldn’t want to discredit that vocation in any way. However, I believe that at least here in America, the enemy has used the vocation of missionary to get us to stop believing that the Great Commission is given to all of us. We are all called to go into our worlds and share Christ. Are you doing that? Do the people who know you outside of church know that you are a Christian? I love the question that I see float around now and then, “If you were taken to court for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Pray for opportunities to share your story and your faith. Pray for ways to open your home to people to come and share life together. Pray for ways to meet the needs of the people around you. Don’t abdicate your role as a receiver of the Great Commission because you believe you aren’t a missionary, you are.

Shalom,

KA

 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Remarkable: worthy of attention. I am worthy of attention, therefore, I am remarkable. God created me in a space of fear and wonder. ME! I have believed a lie for all of my life that I am utterly unremarkable, replaceable and disposable. Believing this lie has led me into 2 divorces, alcoholism and an abusive relationship along with a boat load of other heartache’s. This lie is insidious because the enemy has an unlimited supply of examples of how unremarkable I am and he just keeps them playing on repeat in my head and heart. And for each other, God stamps “remarkable” on me but I’ve been so brainwashed by the lie, that I couldn’t see it. Today that ends. Today I reclaim remarkable over my life!

Now the fear sets in with my least favorite word….arrogant. My heart is racing at the notion of reclaim remarkable and having it be perceived as arrogance. I fear being seen as arrogant because that’s not my heart at all. So, here’s an opportunity to break another lie with the truth…I’m not arrogant and the people who know me and love me know that so why am I afraid of being seen that way? The enemy’s lie. Reclaiming remarkable isn’t putting myself above anyone or saying I’m better than, it’s simply saying that yes, I am worthy of attention. God has created me in a space of fear and wonder and that is remarkable!

Now, here’s where you come in, are you ready?? YOU ARE REMARKABLE!! Don’t stop reading, please. Don’t click away because you can’t accept this truth, please. If this word scares you as much as it scared me, you’ve already started playing the movie in your head that tells you all the reasons you aren’t remarkable. STOP! If you’re doing that, stop, please, stop. God has made you in a space of fear and wonder, you are remarkable.

Reclaiming remarkable isn’t a moment in time, it’s a process and a journey. It’s starts with even being able to say, “I am remarkable” and it is followed by, “Abba, show me the lies I have believed and agreed with that say I am unremarkable and break those chains”. We are going to have to fight to reclaim remarkable. I’m serious, the enemy isn’t going to go quietly because he holds way too much power in your believing this particular lie. So get prepared for battle.

Reclaim remarkable. God has created you in a space of fear and wonder and that is remarkable. You need a prayer partner if you are going to reclaim remarkable so if you don’t have any in your life or you want to add one more, please email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com.

Reclaim remarkable. God has created you in a space of fear and wonder and that is remarkable. If you’re willing to start reclaiming remarkable, will you please email me with just a simple, “I’m reclaiming remarkable” at jesusreliant@gmail.com. I would love to just check in with you.

Shalom!

KA

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24

Confession time: I have been choosing to put more faith in money than in God. Forgive me, Lord. I have been seriously fretting and worrying about money. I’ve lived most of my adult life, if not all of it, either in a two-income home or as a single income making enough for 8 people. Money isn’t something I’ve had to think about for a very long time. I grew super comfortable with money and the security that comes with it. And here’s the problem with that: I’m more secure in money than God.

In this passage in Matthew, Jesus goes on to tell me not to worry about the very thing I keep worrying about, basic necessities. He steps on my anxiety and doesn’t try to give me some flowery, feel-good message about how it’s ok to worry, it’s human. He pointedly says don’t do it. Don’t worry about your food or your clothes or any other basic needs because God knows your need and He’s got you covered. And then, is if drive the point home he asks a question, “Can you lengthen your life in any way by worry?” Of course not!

All I need to be concerned about is doing the will of my Father. I need to be seeking His kingdom first and when I’m doing that, everything else is met. This means a shift in the atmosphere and a turning away from what society says is important and successful and a full turning toward the Cross.

I can’t truthfully seek God and His plan when I am worried about how my needs will be met. In that worry, all of my focus is on me, not God. Jesus offers the example of birds and flowers. Neither of these worry or work to support themselves and yet, both are fully cared for and beautiful. Jesus goes on to call out, if God takes care of His creation at that level, surely He will take care of me. The question is, am I willing to let go of my worry?

So, today I confess my sin before you and say, I repent of worry about money. God will provide and that’s all I need to believe. I will refocus and turn my heart toward Him who created me, who Redeemed me and who loves me more than I will ever fathom and I seek His kingdom. I encourage you today to look at what you are worry about, repent and give it to God. Live unchained.

If you need a prayer partner, please email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com.

Shalom,

KA

“Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” Numbers 20:12

Following God isn’t easy, let’s just be honest about that truth. It isn’t easy because we don’t see, think, speak or quite honestly do anything at the level God does. He’s higher and He sees things from an eternal perspective which we will never understand while we are here on earth. That’s why faith is critical. The only way to follow God is to believe in the core of who you are that God loves you and has a plan for the world and you are part of that plan.

Moses was part of God’s plan and it was an uphill struggle from the moment he was called. God placed a call on Moses that he was uninterested in having. In Exodus 3, God comes to Moses in the form of a burning bush and tells him that the pain of the people is not unnoticed by God and he, Moses, is part of the plan to bring deliverance. God lays out the plan in quite a bit of detail and Moses launches into a list of reasons why he isn’t the right person for this call. God does not relent and meets every argument Moses has with how He is going to work it out.

Moses does, in fact, lead God’s people out of captivity and it is a long and hard journey. Moses meets resistance after resistance from God’s people. The level of discouragement in the Moses had to be deep. I’m sure in the quiet moments between he and God, he reminded God of all the reasons he was STILL the wrong person for the job of deliverer. God had laid a large promise in front of him and I don’t think he ever fully bought in to the process or the promise. Much like Jonah, he went because he knew that God was behind the work, he just wished God had used someone else.

From the beginning, Moses was a reluctant leader. Throughout the entire exodus out of Egypt, you catch glimpses of his disobedience to his call in his attitude and words. And in his defense, the people of God did nothing but complain over and over again about the conditions. It doesn’t appear that anyone is really buying into this plan of God’s and yet, God’s plan is still being played out because it’s God’s plan. Numbers 20 begins with the people complaining that there is no water. Moses goes to God to find an answer only Moses doesn’t follow God’s answer. God tells him to, “tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water.” (Numbers 20: 8) How awesome is this going to be?! God is going to provide water for His people just by Moses SPEAKING to the rock! Only Moses doesn’t quite do what God asked.

Moses goes to the people and instead of following God, he decides to change the plan. Moses goes before the people and he says, “’Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?’ And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.” (Numbers 20:10-11) Not only did Moses not follow God’s instructions by merely speaking to the rock for water, Moses took credit for the water and didn’t bring any glory to God. Because of his rebellion, and I’m sure his overall heart condition towards this call of God in the first place, God bans him from entering the promised land. I can’t even imagine the heartbreak for Moses in this moment.

Friends, don’t miss the promise God has given you because the call feels too hard. A call given by God is inherently too hard for you, and never too hard for God. He knows what He is doing so have faith and follow well. Your life may not look at all like you ever expected but you don’t want to miss out on the promise. No matter how crazy the call, like speaking water out of a rock, believe it is possible and follow God.

If you would like a prayer partner, please email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com

Shalom,

KA

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 20:24 A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand His way?

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way.

I’m strategic. I don’t like to waste time and I don’t like to just sit around. When there is no plan, I honestly start to get a back ache because it stresses me out. I even have to plan days where there are no plans for that day. I also like to understand and know why something is the way it is. Not to the level of say, how a clock works at the mechanism level, but I like to have something make sense. My brain is always on and it is always processing. It’s nuts and it’s exhausting.

Lately, I’ve been processing the question of why things are the way they are in this current season of life. I see myself spending significant hours in a job that isn’t furthering the Kingdom in a direct way. I know that I am making an impact for Christ in the relationships and there is deep and amazing value in that, please don’t mishear what I’m saying. But the actual work I’m doing, the 40 hours of pushing buttons on a computer at my desk aren’t of any eternal value and so my brain labels them “waste” with a HUGE red stamp. This drives me crazy because it isn’t part of my plan. Did you catch that? I’ve determined that the job that I know God has brought my way in order to meet the needs of my family is a waste of time because it doesn’t seem to fit into MY plan. And I know God looks at me, smiles and shakes His head.

If we won’t delight in all that God is, Creator, Comforter, Father, Friend, etc, then we will go crazy trying to makes sense of this life when it is never going to be possible. Follow me here:

1. God and I don’t think or plan alike. God thinks at an eternal level and I only think at a temporal level. (Isaiah 55:8)
2. I can make all the plans in the world but I can’t bring them into existence, only God can. (Proverbs 16:9)
3. Because all I can do is plan and not actually create the steps to fulfill the plan, and because only God can do that, I will never be able to understand because I can’t think like God. (Proverbs 20:24)
4. If I can only plan but never create the steps, and if only God can create the steps but I’ll never be able to understand because I can’t think like God, then my only choice is to delight in God so that I am in the right place at the right time. (Psalm 37:23)

Yikes!! So all of the sudden, the planner-girl is brought to an invitation: will you just delight in all that I am and let Me, your Father, take care of the rest? This invitation brings me to the brink of insanity because I am left with two choices: delight in God or go crazy trying to do something you have NO way to do and can never understand!

God’s ways appear crazy to both me and the world around me and guess what, He doesn’t care. God is at no point worried or concerned about what anyone is saying about what He’s doing. He never craves your approval, just your delight, love and surrender. God is fully willing to ask you to do things that will make your friends and family wonder if they should step in and have you committed. YOU may even think that now and then. I’ve said, “what on earth” more times in the past 4 years of following God then in the 42 years prior to that and guess what, God’s ok with that!

Delight in God or go crazy, those are your only choices. Living an unchained life is nuts, it goes beyond the norms of this world and truly flies in the face of all that “makes sense” at a temporal and earthly level. Delight in God and see what He’ll do. I believe that once we can say ok God, I’m just going to delight in You, God will transform us in ways we had no way, on earth, in our tiny brains, to ever imagine and life will be a grand experience. I’ll happily be deemed crazy for that adventure! It’s the narrow path, it’s not easy ever, and it is ridiculously worth it.

If you would like a prayer partner, please email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com.

Shalom,

KA

**This is a repost of an entry from April 2012**

Over the course of the past several months, I’ve had several friends ask for prayer in finding balance in their lives. I don’t know about you, but when I think of the word balance, I think of something that is weighted equally on all sides and is steady. Or I think of the Yin/Yang symbol with it’s swirling appearance of black and white with two perfectly centered dots. No matter what imagine is conjured up in your mind at the word balance, there is a sense of harmony and peace that allows us to feel like our boats aren’t rocking any longer and we are just easing through the water. My question in response to the desire of my friends to find balance is what does God say about balance?

My first thought was of course God must want balance because balance feels like peace and why wouldn’t God want us to feel peaceful? However, if we are truly going to seek God’s answer on balance for our lives, we have to look to his Word. I started to think about the people I’ve become acquainted with in the bible who lived their lives for God but had nothing that looked like balance in those lives. If balance means all sides being equal, then that means that I play a role in keeping things balanced and I have a level of control that is contrary to scripture. God calls us to be 100% devoted to Him and following His will. 100% devoted to God…there’s no balance in that because He wants it all! He wants us to completely depend on Him to meet our needs and then watch as He does.

In Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23-24, Jesus tells us that in order to follow Him we have to deny ourselves  and follow Him completely. What?! That doesn’t sound very balanced! Lord, can’t I just give you some free time that I have on Tuesday morning? The answer, of course, is sure, He’ll take that time you have considered “free” but He wants ALL your time. Not balance, just surrender.

In Luke 9:3 Jesus calls His disciples to go on a journey spreading the Good News and taking NOTHING with them! He wanted them to completely give over their needs to Him and watch how He would care for them. Not balance, just surrender.

In Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31 and Luke 18:18-30 Jesus tells us a parable about a rich man who comes to Him asking what he has to do in order to follow Jesus. After they together establish that this young man has been following the law, Jesus shatters his dreams but telling him that lastly he must sell everything he has, give the money to the poor and then come and follow Jesus. This young man’s heart is broken and his choice is to walk away from Jesus because giving hm everything is just too much. Not balance, just surrender.

Right about now you’re probably thinking geez Kellyann, thanks for all this positive information…NOT. Many of us go for many years not fully living in the promise of God because we can’t quite fully give Him every aspect of our lives like He wants. It’s a frightening idea to give your life over to someone else in complete and utter abandon and surrender. And through ourselves, it is impossible to do this but through the power of God, nothing is impossible. (Matt 19:26)

If you decide to jump off what you consider your safe place and pray for God to take over your life and live recklessly abandoned to the God of the universe, here’s what He promises:

* He’ll be your salvation and strength: Isaiah 12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid; for the LORD God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

* He’ll be your arm every morning: Isaiah 33:2, “O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.”

* He’ll be with you: Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

* His love is steadfast: Isaiah 54:10, “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD who has compassion on you.”

All of this is to say that I pray you stop seeking balance and instead start seeking God and to be completely surrender to His will. It’s a scary idea to give Him everything but He’s there to catch you and work out all things in your life. Make Him your primary relationship and then everything else will fall into place. It may not happen overnight, and actually likely won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. You can surrender your life to Him. He will not forsake you, instead He will carry you to a deeper relationship. And as you travel through life and find that sometimes you stumble and take over your life again, just pray for His help to give it back. He’s there waiting for you. 🙂

If you would like a prayer partner, please email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com

Shalom,

KA

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations..” Deuteronomy 7:9

God is faithful. That’s a truth that you can absolutely rest your life on and know that He will always take care of you. In December of 2014, I had just quit my job of 13 years and walked away from a 20+ year career in healthcare because God asked me to trust Him. I was terrified to say the least and yet, I had hope and faith in God.

Right about this exact time last year, I was cashing out my retirement of $70k and embarking on a year of living with a no-wiggle room budget. That money HAD to last the entire year. Admittedly, I’m not the best with money-management. I was nervous so I gave my money to Jesus and asked Him to help me. I put together a budget and we stuck to it. Kind of…

In February I started a non-profit organization that needed some start-up money so I paid for things out of my pocket and asked for folks to give to the organization in hopes of getting it back. God also asked me to support a dear friend on a mission trip. By an earthly perspective I should have said “no” to so much and yet, I believed God was going to provider for us. God provided BEYOND my wildest dreams! I’ve given more away this year and yet, He’s never let us go without. He’s opened me up to being able to receive from others and let me tell you, that’s humbling and amazing.

Two weeks ago, God provided a job. Just as our money is running out, God is providing yet again. I have exactly $57 dollars in my account and I don’t get paid until 12/31/15 and guess what…I’m not worried. God’s got me covered and I have no reason to worry. There was a time when I would have seen $57 in my account and completely freaked!! Who can live on that for an entire week?? Well, lots and lots of people live on less. If something major comes up over the next 5 days, God will provide.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m human and this little tiny amount in my account absolutely does make me a little nervous however, I have faith. I have faith that My God will absolutely supply all my needs (Philippians 4:19) We’ve got plenty of food in the fridge and pantry, I’ve got a basically full tank of gas and we’ve got really nothing much going on for the next few days.

Why am I sharing this right now? To encourage you to go with God. No matter how crazy His call feels, do it. Don’t miss out on the miracle that is His provision. Don’t let anyone else tell you not to follow God. God is absolutely bigger than we are and His plan is greater so once you hear Him, follow Him. Oh, and share your journey!! Sharing your journey is so critical. Other people need your example in order to build their faith. God wants you to shout from the rooftops about His unchained faithfulness!! Learn to give AND receive because God is just waiting to pour out the blessings on your life.

If you need a prayer partner, email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com.

Shalom,

KA

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20

Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes for a moment: You’re a young carpenter likely working lots of hours to make ends meet. Engaged to a lovely young girl and dreaming of the future. Wondering how many kids you’ll have, what your lives will be like together, how you’ll manage. You’re an average guy, just living a peaceful life. Then the atmosphere shifts and you find out that your betrothed is pregnant and you’re not the father. Your human mind would immediately believe she cheated! You settle in your heart that you aren’t getting married now, you process the grief of losing this love and try to figure out how to end this relationship with the least amount of shame possible. Your heart is broken and tattered. Then the atmosphere shifts again and an angel of the Lord comes to you. Your heart is racing, your brain is pounding and you are terrified at this encounter. The angel, clearly knowing you are terrified, tells you to not be afraid because your betrothed didn’t cheat, she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Your mind struggles to process this information and fully grasp the landscape that is changing for the world. You have to believe this, no matter how far fetched it seems, because and angel of the Lord is telling you it’s true. Or do you?

I believe fully, based on what I know of God’s character, that Joseph had a choice. When presented with the astonishing information that Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, I believe Joseph could have chalked the vision up to a bad dinner and continued on with his plan to divorce Mary quietly. How could God expect him to believe this story? It’s not like there were other examples of the Holy Spirit impregnating other virgins. Why would God chose him? It’s not like Joseph was someone well known like his ancestor David. Joseph was just a simple carpenter. In this moment, I see one of the greatest invitations to unchained faith that exists. Would Joseph believe that God could and would use him? Would Joseph say yes?

God is allowed to ask you to do things that go against everything you’ve ever believed about yourself and how the world works, because He’s God. Don’t for one minute think you are too insignificant, too average or too small to go noticed by God, you aren’t. God knows you. God sees you. And I’m willing to wager that at least half of the people I know are being invited into deeper faith, just like Joseph was, and they are struggling to say yes. Think of the implication if Joseph had said no. It’s devastating! Your saying no is also devastating. You have an opportunity to make an impact in the world and shift the atmosphere when you accept the Holy Spirit’s invitation to walk radically with Jesus. Don’t fear. Don’t miss it!

Here’s my prayer for you these few days before Jesus’ birthday: say yes. Say yes to whatever God is laying in front of you. Say yes to going against what society may deem as sane. Say yes to living radically for Jesus. Say yes to increased faith in God. When you know for certain you are hearing God, don’t fear the message, just say yes and live in unchained faith. God is fully able to work through you and He will absolutely not forsake you. Shift your gaze from this earth to eternity and then just start moving.

If you need a prayer partner, please email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com.

Shalom,

KA

 

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect? Says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 1:6-8

We seem to have this opinion that God can’t actually see or know every single thing we are doing or thinking. This is a lie from the enemy meant to give you a false sense of independence and power that simply doesn’t exist. Nothing you do, think or say goes without being seen, known and heard by God. Here are some verses that support what I’m saying:

Psalm 139:4: Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all.

Hebrews 4:13: And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Isaiah 40:28 The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

I think you get the drift, God never blinks, never sleeps, and is always aware of what we are doing, thinking and saying. He knows these things before we do! Why have I laid this foundation? To exhort you as your sister in Christ to stop cheating God with your life and be a beautiful sacrifice.

God has created us to live for Him. That is plain and simple and in that, He wants the entirety of our lives and yet, so many followers of Christ keep back areas from Him and by doing that, we are presenting a blind, lame, sick sacrifice with our lives. In many, if not most, cases we are saying to God, “You have my life” and yet we secretly have these places where we have put up DO NOT ENTER signs thinking He won’t know or notice. He does know and He does notice. And to you He says that words of Malachi, “If you presented less than your best to your employer, your spouse, your friends, would they be pleased?”

There is no verse in the Bible that calls us to be perfect. There is no verse in the Bible that says you have to clean yourself up before you can present yourself to God. There is no verse in the Bible that says God helps those who help themselves. These are all lies that keep you from walking deeply with God and they keep you from being as effective for the Kingdom as you could be.

Laying your entire life at the feet of the Cross is terrifying. You have NO idea what God is going to do, how He’s going to wreck some places in order to rebuild or how the people around you are going to respond when He calls you to something they think is crazy. However, if you don’t, you also have no idea how He will step in and bless you, heal you, guide you and love you with a love that you simply can’t wrap your heart or brain around. God the Father loved you so much that even though He knew full well you would sin and fail, He sent God the Son to this planet to walk as a human and die as a sacrifice just so that you could have a relationship with Him. If that doesn’t make you want to lay your entire life before Him then truthfully, I don’t think anything will.

Step out of the darkness and lie that you are better able to handle your life better than God. I’ve been there, I know how appealing that lie is to believe because it’s easy. The narrow path is just that, narrow. You need God to navigate it every single step and that is not easy. However, it is so worth it! You begin to become addicted to miracles because they happen around every single corner. You will say over and over, “I can’t figure this out so God, You lead”, and over and over God will say, “I’ve got this!”. There is nothing better than knowing that you don’t have to worry, just believe. This is when your life becomes a fragrant and beautiful sacrifice to God.

If you need a prayer partner, email me at jesusreliant@gmail.com.

Shalom,

KA