Be Still...

 

Psalm 37:7: "Calm your heart before YHWH and patiently await His guidance; do not fret over those who seem to prosper in wickedness!

Ecclesiastes 3:1: "For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven."

In this still season preceding the new year, it may seem like not much is happening with few blooms and bare trees. However, beneath the surface, significant developments are occurring. Although unseen, the seeds planted are swelling as they absorb water, strengthening their roots in preparation for blooming. While the lack of visible growth may lead to weariness, it's a time for spiritual maturation, a shedding of the self, and the stirring of hope for new opportunities that come with growth. We anticipate the forthcoming season of abundance with hopeful hearts. As we wait in stillness, we remain content yet not complacent, tranquil but not stagnant, finding peace in knowing that our faith assures us of what we hope for, even though it may not yet be visible. Abba has many beautiful blessings in store for His children in the coming year, so let us embrace this season of rest and reflection, allowing it to fulfill its purpose as we linger a little longer in this pause.

Exodus 14:14: "YHWH will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Zechariah 2:13: "Let all humanity be silent before YHWH, for He stirs from His holy dwelling."

Meeting ABBA in the secret place..

Have you ever felt disconnected? Have you ever felt like you could see but, barely, like looking through a glass dimly? I've been there before... Where at first, I'm walking with my ABBA but somewhere along the way life's distractions and worries bring me down a path that doesn't lead home. My heart cries ABBA Father guide me back to the Secret Place. Strengthen me Yahusha, so that I'm secure, and my feet are planted on the rock, and my footsteps made emunah(firm).

What is the Secret Place?

It's a place where you can find shalom(peace) and security regardless of your physical reality. It's the place in Yah's presence where strength is found. The Secret Place is a place ABBA created specifically for you and Him to dwell. 

The word “dwell” comes from the Hebrew word yashab which means to “stay, establish, abide, tarry, sit down, settle, remain, and inhabit.” The Hebrew word Yashab is Yod, Shin, and Bet. Yod is the Hebrew picture of a hand that represents work. Shin means to press, and the bet represents the house, family, or within. So one could interpret the Hebrew understanding of yashab(dwelling) to mean: "The pressing of His hand working within or The working of His hand pressing within." Let's see if scripture confirms...

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because Yah's love has been poured into our hearts through the Set-Apart Spirit who has been given to us.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 

When we Yashab(dwell), abide, and remain with God, we will face many trials and tests of our faith. Because of this, it's not always easy to sit down and tarry in the Secret Place. Still, we are called to press in and abide.  We have to push to establish ourselves in the Secret Place no matter the pressures surrounding us. This place of security and shalom Abba has called us to Yashab(dwell) in, and settle in His presence is worth the fight to inhabit! 

 The testing of our faith is the LOVING work of Yah's compassionate hand that allows fiery trials that will bring refinement and maturity. In His mercy, He has also provided us a place of refuge, a spiritual shelter of safety that we can remain in. Abba created the Secret Place not only for a temporary reprieve but a place of constant dwelling.  Press into Abba, receive of His Shalom and settle into His safe place. Only by dwelling (Yashab) will we receive the strength to continue.

Pray with me?

Thank You Father for bringing me back to the Secret Place where Love abounds and Your Grace has no restraint. Father, allow me to continually Yashab(dwell) in your Secret Place. Strengthen me to inhabit and abide in this special place amidst the distractions of the world. Help me to remain continually in Your stillness whether in the busyness or quietness of life. Allow me to sit at your feet and wait in your secret place for my daily nourishment and encouragement from Your Word. Thank You for cleansing me in this set-apart place that You have created for us to Yashab(dwell). Thank You for calling me here where healing takes place and shalom abounds. Thank You for seeing how much I needed you to fill in my lack and be the Strength in my weakness. Thank You Abba for filling my cup, now I can go and be a barakah(blessing) to Your people. Help me to pour out without mercy just as you have done for me loving Father in this Place. I pour out for Your Glory and Yours alone. Help me to establish myself in this place of refuge. I wait and will abide, while in this earthly tent, this place you've created for us to dwell in until eternity brings me home. Then, will I abide with You in the Secret place You have created for us in Your eternal abode ❤ 

Trusting God even when its Hard

Have you ever felt like giving up? 

Have you ever wondered does God see me? Does He hear me? Does He even have a plan for me?

He Sees. He's listening and He has a plan.

Sometimes our troubles can feel like its more than we can bear. The stress in our mind can sometimes be overwhelming and the attacks seem to be everywhere. You may even feel like you are crying out to God but He's not hearing. Or you may question does He have a plan for me? But the real question is will you allow your circumstances to create doubt and stir up fear against your God? Or will you allow your trial to be the refining fire it was designed to be and grow you unto a more perfect man?

There is no situation that comes our way without first going through our Father's loving hand. He sees. He's listening and He has a plan.  He's there giving you the strength to keep going. He's there working things out beyond what you can see. Romans says that ALL things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. Are you called for His purpose? Then your current stressful situation that seems to hard to bear is already worked out for your good! God wants you to trust Him with your whole heart, and give Him your burdens, then WAIT on His plan for you.

Will you trust Him even if the outcome is not what you would have chosen?

He will NEVER put more on you than you can bear. But only in coming to Him will we receive the strength that's needed to endure through these hard trials. His thoughts for you are to prosper you to give you hope and a future. He says that those of us who seek to live Godly lives will suffer persecution and hard times but we are the apple of His eye and His thoughts toward us are more than the sand of the sea. With so many thoughts toward us, He has a plan and we need only wait and trust!

So...

Does God see you?

Psalm 32:8 Let Me instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; Let Me counsel with My eye on you.

Does God hear you?

Isaiah 65:24 ...Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Does God have a plan for you?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I am planning for you.' Declares Yahuah, plans of peace and not of evil, to give you hope and a future 💙

To know Him

John 17:3 Now this is life eternal, That they might KNOW Thee; The ONLY true Elohim, and Yahusha the Messiah whom thou hast sent 💙

How do we KNOW Him?

When looking up the word know in John 17:3 the word "know" is the same that is used in the intimate connection that a man makes with his wife. I believe Father used this word to help our minds to understand the oneness and the intimate unity He desires to have with His people. He wants us to know that when it comes to His children He wants no separation from us and sacrificed it All so that we might have the chance to Know Him.

 In order for us to know Him, we have to constantly experience Him. It's an active relationship with the One who Knows and the thing known. Ginosko is the word used in the Renewed Covenant (New Testament). Ginosko is the knowledge that comes from obedience. Ginosko is used to describe the intimate relationship between husband and wife and between God and His people.

What does it mean to Know Him?

The word Know in the Hebrew is Yada. It's the same word used when Adam conceived and bore fruit with his wife Eve. The word means to understand by experience. Which makes a lot of sense since in order to Know Abba you need to experience Him DAILY. I'm coming to know Abba through lots of prayer and being very intentional about where I spend my time based on Who/what I want to reflect. It's important for us to read our Bible daily and find quiet places to listen for His voice and instruction. If we spend our time sowing into our fleshly desires and doing the things which indulge the fleshly nature, we weaken that which Abba is trying to make strong.  Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. In order to get to Know Him we have to align all our desires and wants with what He wants and His purpose for our lives.

When we commit sin, we in a sense come to know it and it becomes one with us. When we entertain thoughts and actions that don't align with His Word. We We weaken the connection and oneness Abba wants to build in us. A wife is meant to know only ONE husband. What sin on this Earth is worth seperating us from our Elohim?

 1 Cor 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Messiah? Shall I then take away the members of Messiah and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the [j]immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a [k]temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from Elohim, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify Elohim in your body. 

Dear Abba, Thank you for everyone who will read this blog. I pray that you bless them in abundance. Father help us all come to know you and seek your face daily. Allow your Spirit to be the only leading force in our lives and may we surrender it ALL to you Abba. There aren't enough words to express my gratitude for all you have done. Father bless us, so that we bring glory to You in every aspect of our lives.

HalleluYah Abba 💙

Be still, and know that I am Elohim... Psalm 46:10

Often times we pray and ask God to remove us from tough situations. But nothing can happen to us without it first going through His loving hand. If we are in a situation He allowed it for a reason and NOTHING is without purpose. Oftentimes because people do things without purpose we associate that fleshly attribute to ABBA. He works All things together for our good. Even the bad.

Psalms 46:10 says Be still and know that I am God. I looked up the original meaning of STILL and KNOW to get a deeper understanding of the verse. Father not only gave me deeper understanding by understanding the words but also by allowing me to walk and experience it. So, what does it mean to be still? What does He want us to Know?

To be STILL means to cease, slacken, to be weak (-en), or to let alone. So is He asking us to submit ALL our efforts to His understanding and not our own Prov 3:5? We have to understand that our efforts in His plan are minimal. All He asks for is our surrender in all things so that He can lead us. This will allow Him to accomplish the work He is trying to do. Too many times we are eager to help God and show Him the way we would like for Him to work. But to really understand the verse He is asking us to be weak, weaken our efforts and acknowledge that we need Him. That's when our FULL and total surrender will allow Him to properly guide us.

To KNOW meaning to be aware, assuredly, to acknowledge for a certainty, to have {understanding.} We have to KNOW with certainty that He is our God who is working on our behalf. What hinders us is that we don't usually see the end result in our tough times. We look around and all we see is a storm. Bills piling up, relationship issues, constant attacks from the enemy and we get discouraged because our redemption doesn't seem nigh. We cannot lean on our own understanding of what Father can and WILL do to deliver us. He is leading, guiding and directing ALL our paths. For our good, at that! He asks us to BE STILL and Know. Know that He loves us with a love far past our understanding. Know that He sees and has not forgotten nor forsaken us. Know that the battle is not ours, it's His, and He has promised a way of escape 2 Chron 20:15. All we need to do is Be still and KNOW for certainty this is the type of Elohim we serve 🎔🎔

He asks us to Know that He is Elohim. How can we know if we don't walk with Him on a consistent basis? Are we ready at His feet to learn of Him daily? Understanding who He is significant in understanding how He relates to us as a people. The word ABBA is an Aramaic term that would most closely be translated as "Daddy." Abba signifies the close, intimate relationship of a father to his child. When we submit ALL things to Him we will come to know how intimately he wants to guide and protect us. He wants us to cry out to Him and put our FULL trust in Him the way a child trusts his "daddy."🎔

My prayer: Abba, thank you for love. Everywhere we turn your love is right there waiting to guide and show us Your perfect way. Allow our hearts to be humble before you so that we submit to your guidance. Let us Be Still and Know that You are our Elohim who loves us with a love that is far past our understanding and you will never leave nor forsake us. We need you in every step of our lives, be with us Abba. Let us watch your perfect will for us unfold as we humbly submit to your Love. Thank you for who you are 🎔

-Keturah

My Strength is perfected in weakness... 2 Corinthians 12:9

This thought is amazing to me. In my weakness Christ is MORE glorified! This is completely opposite from what we've learned from the world. This world feeds our pride and we are led to believe we have to be something more than what He has called us to be in order to be appreciated and noticed. But here Christ is saying through our WEAKNESS and in our HUMILITY we are to present ourselves to Him so that His STRENGTH can be perfected in us. Only in recognizing and surrendering our weakness will we be made strong.  

2 Cor 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for the sake of Messiah. For only when I am weak, then I am strong!!! 

We can be confident in the strength and ability that He provides because our part is minimal. Here in 1 Corinthians 3 He’s showing us that we are merely planters and waters. ONLY ABBA is able to give the increase. Neither the planter nor the waterer are anything but all glory goes to ABBA and to Him alone.

1 Corinthians 3:6,7 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 💕

John 9:41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains. 

It's the acknowledgement of our weakness and our need for His Strength that's needed to enable us with the ability to accomplish anything. These verses should give us a new kind of confidence because being fruitful is then not based on our ability to produce. It’s based on our understanding and ACKNOWLEDGMENT of our weakness and then surrendering to the ONLY One that can give Strength and Power.

So we need only recognize and see our feeble state for what it actually is and seek Him daily for the guidance and strength that we need. He sees us as we really are and the weakness that we possess and He is wanting to strengthen us and enable us to do the work He has called us to do. Isaiah 40:29  He gives power to the faint, and to those who have no might He increases strength 💕

The Bible tells us Christ first was crucified in weakness but now He lives with the power in which Elohim provides. We too, for though we are weak in the flesh it is through the power of Christ in our hearts and His manifestation in our lives; that gives us the power needed to overcome our weakness and reign with Him for eternity 💕

He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters... psalm 23:2

Woke up this morning feeling unusually sad and a little bothered. Nothing in particular happened the day or night before so I wasn't real sure where this was coming from. Nevertheless, I didn't want to dwell in it so I prayed and asked God for His Strength and sent my good friend a message and asked her to pray for me as well.

After I started with the usual day to day routine. I read my Bible, spent some time in prayer, made breakfast, played with the baby, and started homeschool. I sat down and asked God to lead me in His plans for us this day. My daughter mentioned she wanted to go to a petting zoo and I figured that would be easy because there is one not too far away. Then I remembered on the way home from the grocery store yesterday a sign for a Lavender Farm. I'm not big into lavender but for some reason that sign really stood out in my mind so I looked it up and we got everyone ready to go.

This farm was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places we have ever been too. It's called White Oak Lavender Farm W.O.L.F in Manssanutten Virginia. With the smell of lavender everywhere, hammocks for everyone, and perfect 70 weather with a gentle breeze you felt like you were sleep walking through the entire place.

I even got to play and ALMOST beat my husband in a game of life size checkers 🎔 Next time...

I think I could have won if this little person didn't keep distracting me 💙

She kept asking to take pictures near the flowers. I couldn't stop noticing how beautiful God made her and He made her in my likeness. I think I got a glimpse of what He feels when He looks at us. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

This little boy is happy no matter where He is. God teaches me so much about contentment and patience in all circumstances through my son. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 💕

They placed these hammocks right over the lavender bed. With the breeze blowing us in the hammocks and the smell of calming lavender everywhere. Me and my husband couldn't move for a couple of hours it was so relaxing! But she was a little too small to really enjoy them lol. 

So they played around the pond...

And he just wanted to play in the rocks 💙

So glad I waited on God and didn't allow my feelings from the morning to set the course of my emotions for the rest of the day. I had no idea God had so much in store for me today! To think, I would have missed out on all the amazing blessings he had planned. Only God can give the true peace that all of our hearts long and seek for.  Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage! I have overcome the world." 💕

We are not on this walk alone. We have a ABBA who loves us so much and plans all things for our good. Yes, in this world we will have trouble. But the one who have overcome this world is asking to live in our hearts so that He can give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. We need only to follow and surrender our will to His gentle and peaceful leading.

Psalms 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters 💕

My prayer💝 ABBA thank you so much for your leading. Your not only leading us in stillness and peace ABBA. But you are leading us on a path that leads straight to your presence for eternity. And I'm so thankful that in this life where trouble surrounds us you still delight to give us glimpses of your love for us. Please ABBA prepare us now to be fit to live in your Holy presence forever. Thank you so much for your love ♥