Confidence

He is worth it. He is with us.

/ Jana

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It was the best of seasons and the worst of seasons. Sounds dramatic I know, but it really does ring true. This is the season of thanksgiving. There is just so much to be thankful for. Big and small.  My friend Joanna Simeone has been asking for answered prayers and miracles and we just keep sending in testimony after testimony.  It’s Beautiful.

AND.

And, it feels like all hell is breaking loose.  Hmmmm. Just as I write those words, breaking loose, the Spirit reminds me of the passage I have been returning to this week. “No weapon formed against you will prevail,” from Isaiah 54.  What if  the more we give thanks in all circumstances, the more hell is losing its grip on us? The more hell is breaking loose from our lives?

I told my friend I am in the perfect storm, every area being shaken up, pressed down, crushed. And yet, the song of Lord keeps bringing me peace.

• He brought me an actual song,  “Another in the Fire.” It is a war cry anthem for sure.  “I can see the Light in the darkness, and the darkness bows to Him.”

• He gave me a vision in the shower of the word Confidence. Like a teacher diagramming a sentence the Lord re-wrote the word like this:

Con (meaning with, or together) + Fide (faith) + Ence (noun turned to action or result)

Confidence means With Faith.

He has said over and over again He Himself is our confidence.  We can  “with Faith” Him in the moment by moment.

• And then there is the tension of the not yet, the holding your breath, the punched in the gut I can’t breath moments where we must decide our path. This is what He continues to breath into my spirit: I am worth it. I am with you.

I told my friend Kate I am convinced that all of life, and I mean ALL of life, is God’s invitation to us to have More of Him.

So today I bless you, and myself, to have full Confidence (With Faith) in Him and to rest, breathe, believe He will be good and God to you in every circumstance. And to know that He is worth it. He is with us.

Oh Yes! This shell is what sparked the conversation. See that little shell inside? That’s me and you. Hidden within His Broken Body. Amen.

Glorious Riches and Great Power

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Last night in WGR Class we talked about  the WHO of God and the WHY of God from Ephesians 2. (We are Going Somewhere this semester so I invite you listen or watch class to be able connect the dots.  The recording will be posted shortly.)  God has glorious riches and great power for “those who believe.” And what’s His purpose? That we might “know him better.”  This is God’s objective. He wants to show up and show off for you so that you will have confidence in WHO He is.

You will never believe this real life story I got this morning as Evidence of Believing. It is from Laura Jones in California.  Oh the adventure of God.

“So I just wanted to share Whitney’s story – one of the gals I asked you to pray for yesterday.
This woman left a mission she was on, gave up a serious relationship, and decided to follow the Lord’s call to Deeper School. She had all the money she needed for the full year’s schooling and a bit extra. Then God asked her to give it all away. And she DID.
Her gift kept a ministry from folding and left her with just enough for this month’s rent and her last two bills. Nothing at all for school. Just Jesus. And she came to California anyway, knowing that she would not be allowed to start classes without her payment. But God had told her to come.
Yesterday we went to register. Still no money. Yet she had total peace. She knew God had brought her here – even if it was just to be with the students in our house and spend time with Him – and she trusted Him to provide and make it clear if she was to be in school.  When she stepped up to the desk, she simply stated that she didn’t have the money. As expected, they kindly told her she had a few weeks and could still join the class later, but she had to have the money before she began.
Whitney was still fine. But I pressed her – “Did you tell them the story?? It may not change the outcome at all. You may still have to wait to start. But at least they will know how to pray WITH you. They’ll know you weren’t just blowing them off after they set boundaries.”
Whitney had to go to work, so I went back to tell her story. On the way, I met one of the other students and we stopped to pray in agreement that the Lord would give back to Whitney.  The staff were glad to hear what was going on and said they wanted to talk with her. They weren’t sure how it would work out, but we all wanted to pull Heaven’s resources down on her behalf and see her come!
We all prayed. Another student dreamed the Lord gave Whitney great wealth. And we waited.

Today, the school agreed to let her come to classes for a bit and see what the Lord brought in. Not half an hour later, someone donated $2000 towards her tuition! Enough for the first half of the payment plan and then some!  God is so, SO good! He is so faithful.”

Jesus you rock our world.  Lead us Spirit into “revelation and wisdom” that we might know You better.  Amen.