NiYi – Page 5 – Rivers in the Desert

God already wants to bless us!

One of my favorite bible verses is Psalm 57:2 (AMPC).

“… God performs ALL things on my behalf and He rewards me for it …”

I’m a living testimony of this truth! God is truly awesome beyond words. He is altogether lovely, altogether wonderful. There is no one like Him – where is the god who can compare with Him?

Where is the god who can compare with You … Mercy is Your specialty …You stay true to Your word and perform the sure promise to Jacob, You continue the compassion you showed Abraham – everything You promised our fathers from the days of old.
Micah 7:18 -20

Using two experiences (Abraham’s and mine), I’ll share how/why I wholeheartedly believe the beautiful truth that God already wants to bless us …

… technically and truthfully, He has 👇

God’s divine power (LOVE) has made available to us absolutely everything necessary for LIFE and godliness …
2 Peter 1:3

While this blog elaborates on the truth that God already wants to bless us, it is important to keep in mind that He Has. What God has done sometimes translates to us as yet-to-be-done or still in-the-works … think of it as a “time zone” thing 😊.

To avoid any inadvertent confusion, I’ll be sharing mostly from the perspective of our earthly time zone. However, like I said, keep in mind that God has already blessed us.

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First stop … Abraham.

God promised him a son (Genesis 15). At least 14 years later, the son of promise (Isaac) was born! (Genesis 21:1-5). Fast forward a few years later, God said to Abraham (Genesis 22:2):

“Take now your son, your only son of promise whom you love, Isaac, go to the region of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you.”

Abraham took Isaac to the place as instructed and just as he was about to do the deed, God stopped him (Genesis 22:12). Following this, God said to Abraham (Genesis 22:16-17):

“By Myself (on the basis of Who I AM) I have sworn an oath, because you have done this thing and have not withheld from Me your son, your only son of promise, I will bless you – Oh I will bless you!

I will make sure your children flourish like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed will possess the gates of their enemies by conquering them. Through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you heard and obeyed My voice.”

I don’t have to be a parent to know that there’s no (natural/humanly) way Abraham could have given up Isaac! He waited for this child for a loooooong minute … but for God enabling him, Abraham’s response to what God said in Genesis 22:2 would very likely have been “get thee behind me you-know-who”.

The way I see it, the ONLY possible explanation for how Abraham did what He did is that God helped him … God made him do it!.

Why do I say this?

Zechariah 4:6 – NOT by might, nor by power, BUT (only) by My Spirit, says the LORD of Host.

Romans 9:16 – It is NOT of him who wills, nor of him who runs, BUT of God Who shows mercy.

Philippians 2:13 – NOT in your own strength, for it is God who is effectively/effectually at work in you, energizing and creating in you the desire (longing) and the power (ability) to do what pleases Him.

Hopefully we are now on the same page 🙂 – God helped (made) him do it!

With this in mind, it means then that when God said: take Isaac and offer him up to Me, He knew Abraham was going to do it BECAUSE He (God) was going to enable him do it. In other words, when God said take Isaac and offer him up to Me, He (God) had already made up His mind to bless Abraham. SeLaH

Soooo … if I were to re-phrase Genesis 22:17 based on the above revelation, it would read:

“… I will bless you – Oh I will bless you BECAUSE I already want to bless you! …”

This is what I call a pre-meditated blessing! God is awesome !💖

Next Stop … yours truly 😊

In two separate conversations with God, He said to me: Ask of Me … Ask Me. As part of the second conversation, the HolySpirit revealed to me that:

WHEN God says ASK, He already wants to give it. The asking is NOT what inspires His giving, His LOVE is what does. [SeLaH]

No wonder Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to come unafraid and with confidence to receive what God is so ready to give us.

Let us then fearlessly, confidently, and boldly draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy, find grace in time of need … and get what God is so ready to give.
Hebrews 4:16 (AMPC, MSG)

God already wants to bless us. He already wants to be merciful to us.

The notion or mindset that (1) we have to get our acts together and clean up first BEFORE we come to Him, or that (2) being of a broken-spirit is anything outside of what 1 John 1:9 says … is a big, fat, time-wasting LIE and falls under the category of cisterns that do NOT hold water (Jeremiah 2:13).

If we freely admit our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises), and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

Think about it …

While we were yet sinners, neck deep in it, God (in His Love) paid the ultimate price required to redeem and save us from sin and death (Romans 5:8, Isaiah 53).

This goes to show that God’s blessing is not inspired by our actions or inactions (what we do or don’t do).

God already wants to be gracious to us; He gives generously and blesses us without fault-finding!

The LORD earnestly longs to be gracious to you, He therefore lifts Himself up that He may have mercy on you and show loving kindness to you …
Isaiah 30:18A

God gives to everyone generously, liberally, ungrudgingly … without reproach, rebuke, blame, or fault-finding.
James 1:5

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Sooooo … IF

The sole reason, inspiration, and basis for God’s blessing is God (Love)

God is the one Who performs whatever is required on my part – He does it for me by His Spirit

My prayer is NOT what inspires God’s generous (throws-caution-to-the-wind-kind-of) giving/blessing

He already wants to bless me (and has blessed me)

What THEN is my part in all this?

Why THEN should I Ask and Pray

ANSWER #1: My part is to: Come … Receive … and Enjoy!

… Come to the waters! … Come, buy and eat! … without money and cost, simplyreceiveit as a free gift from God.
Isaiah 55:1

… I came that they may have andenjoyreal and eternal life – life in its fullness and in abundance, till it overflows.
John 10:10B

Coming … Receiving … and Enjoying have one thing in common: BELIEVE.

That famous promise God gave Abraham and His posterity was NOT given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God’s decisionto put everything together for him, which Abraham entered when he believed.
Romans 4:13

COME (Hebrews 11:6B) – Whoever comes near to God must believe that God is real and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him – He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.

RECEIVE (Mark 11:24) – whatever things you ask for in prayer (in accordance to God’s will), believe that you have received them, and you will get it.

ENJOY … the best way I can (currently) show the believe connection is through a personal experience.

Lately, with the help of the HolySpirit, I’ve become more aware of God’s out-of-this-world LOVE toward/for me. My response (every time) is like them that dreamed! (Psalm 126:1B)

Yes, I’m WOW-ed by it, ecstatic, elated, excited, overjoyed! However, in all these, I realized I didn’t know what to do with this mind-blowing, nothing-like-it LOVE of God. I didn’t know how to enjoy it!

For someone who spent a significant portion of her adult life seeking a love connection, I found it ironic and shocking that when handed sheer LOVE on a platter I had no clue how to enjoy it (let myself go and entirely give in to it).

With the help of the HolySpirit, I found that the underlying reason was a very subtle sliver of unbelief which presented itself in the form of passive thoughts like:

“this is too good to be happening“

“what if it goes away?“

“I don’t want to get used to this and then it goes away“

In response to the above realization, I’ve been asking the HolySpirit to (1) help me engage God’s Love to the fullest extent humanly possible, (2) remove every unbelief in me (however subtle and passive), and (3) teach me how to enjoy God’s Love. All of these are a work-in-progress, and I’m progressively learning to bask in the Love of God – a LOVE that is endless (everlasting), bottomless, inexhaustible!

The River of God is FULL of Water!
Psalm 65:9

I have loved you with an EVERLASTING Love
Jeremiah 31:3

ANSWER #2: Simply put, I Ask and Pray BECAUSE God said to 🙂.

Matthew 4:4B … true living is possible only by every word out of God’s mouth. God says ask, I ask … He says pray, I pray.

In reading Matthew 6:8B, 32B both of which essentially say “God knows what I need even before I ask”, AND Matthew 7:7 which says “Ask, keep Asking”, I asked the HolySpirit why I still need to ask and pray considering God already knows … His response:

Praying is an expression of Faith, Faith is how I live.

God honors His principles – one of which is: Ask and you will receive. Hence, someone has to ask.

I’ve since learnt that:

Praying (which includes asking) requires believing – this is what activates the blessings we’ve already been given by God.

When that someone must be me because that’s what gives God the most glory, the HolySpirit enables me to – this is how I’m able to ask and/or pray when I do.

Sometimes that someone (when it does not have to be me) is the HolySpirit – when I’m weak and/or don’t know what to pray, He steps in and does it for me.

… If we don’t know how or what to pray, it does NOT matter. The HolySpirit does our praying in and for us (on our behalf), making prayer out of wordless sighs …
Romans 8:26 (MSG)

Sometimes that someone is the Love of God personified – Jesus.

Jesus saves to the uttermost those who come to God through Him… He lives to continually pray, intercede, and intervene on our behalf.
Hebrews 7:25

Soooo … considering that at least two-third of the Holy Trinity prays, what reasonable reason is there to not pray? You’re right … Nada! 🙂

The truth that God already wants to bless us (and that He has) is not intended to deter or dissuade us from asking and praying. On the contrary, it is fundamentally WHY we should go to God. Also, it shapes HOW we go to God when we ask and pray: rest-assured and ready to receive.

Ask and keep on askingand you will receive, so that your JOY may be full, complete, and have no limits! … Pray so you don’t fall into temptation.
John 16:24, Matthew 26:41

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Love of God, I acknowledge You. Thank you for Your choice of me, thank You for Your choice of Mercy. Thank You for generously blessing me with ALL things pertaining to (and requisite to) life, including all spiritual blessings.

Thank You Jesus for praying for me. Thank you HolySpirit for doing the same and for enabling me to as well.

Abba, I am assured that when Jesus, the HolySpirit, and/or I ask and pray, You hear us because it is done in faith and according to Your will … because You hear and have given what was asked and/or prayed, I have them!

According to Your Word, and coupled with the truth that You want to bless me and have already blessed me, I open my mouth wide … fill me up till I overflow and my cup runs over.

Precious HolySpirit, continue to help me to come, receive, and enjoy all that Abba has given and pours into me.

Why I 💖 the Word of God

For those who are familiar with Root Cause Analysis, you know the 5-Whys Technique. For those who aren’t as familiar, the long and short of the premise is this: To find the root cause of something, you ask a series of consecutive WHYs – with each WHY you uncover key underlying reasons.

Here’s my rendition of 5-Whys from the perspective of the reason I love, enjoy, and trust the Word of God. 😊💖

WHY #1: The Word of God is Unretractable

It can NOT be revoked or rescinded. God can NOT retract His Word. Here’s WHY:

As soon as the Word goes out of His mouth, it is DONE!

It is fulfilled the very moment He said what He said. Hence, it can NOT be un-DONE!

Case in point: Genesis 1:3

God spoke: “Light”, and light appeared.
Genesis 1:3

From personal experience, and stories like that of Abraham (Romans 4:17-21), I agree that there are times when we don’t see HOW or don’t immediately experience the physical manifestation of His fulfilled Word.

This however, does NOT negate the Truth that it (whatever God said) is DONE!

I 💖 Isaiah 45:23!

… the Word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness and shall NOT return …
Isaiah 45:23

In other words, God is saying: when I make you a promise, in the very moment that the Words come out of My mouth, consider it DONE!💖

WHY #2: The Word of God is Incorruptible

It is uninfluenced by anything/anyone BUT God. It is 100% God. It is trustworthy – It is all I know to be trustworthy.

I took stock of my life some time last year and found that (with the exception of God), everything I’ve experienced, interacted with or encountered … everything in my life (myself included) is either NOT remotely or entirely trustworthy.

In some cases, it wasn’t a function of being intentionally unreliable but simply an aspect of human nature – we change our minds, situations change, limiting circumstances, etc.

While I understood the inevitably changing nature of things, it didn’t make me feel any less un-safe (insecure, vulnerable). I needed something entirely trustworthy – The Word of God is the ONLY thing I know that fits the definition.

Heaven and earth (the universe and world) will pass away, BUT My Words will NOT pass away.
Luke 21:33

… God remains Faithful, true to His Word and His Character; He canNOT BUT Be Himself
2 Timothy 2:13

WHY #3: The Word of God spans across my timeline of eternity with Him

To be honest, this one threw me for a loop the first few times it happened! Like when I heard Jesus say:

“… you are God’s Love gift to Me …”

… to which my first response was:

“wait, what? … who? … me?“

When I heard Him say: “I love your devotion to Me“

and I immediately thought to myself:

“When?“ … “When did I do what He is referring to?“

“Is He talking to/about me?“ … “What is happening?”

For real, I thought it was a case of those back-in-the-day TV sets with antennas that randomly pick up other stations!

He assured me that I wasn’t eavesdropping on His conversations with other people. To make sure I know it’s Him talking to me, He started doing this thing where He tells me something and I hear it multiple times! 💖💖💖

He also helped me understand that, like he did with Abraham (Genesis 17:6-8, Micah 7:20), what He tells me is NOT limited to the current me and/or timeline. His Word is living, active, and for all time! 💖

The Word that God speaks is living, active, powerful, operative, energizing, and effective …
Hebrews 4:12

Jesus (The Word of God) is eternally changeless, always the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

While I don’t always know the exact version of me or my timeline of eternity with Him that God refers to per time, I’m learning to believe Him whole heartedly and to respond with Yes and AMEN! 2 Corinthians 1:20

Why #4: The Word of God is HOW I please God

There are two perspectives to do this:

The perspective of Jesus as the Word of God and His obedience to God is how I please God: It may not make sense BUT it is what it is: Truth.

The perspective of my personal (1-on-1) relationship with God, and how the Word of God (what He tells me) has become my sole and effectual love ammunition toward God! 💖💖💖

Let me elaborate on #2 …

No one desiring a true love relationship/connection wants a lover they can NOT please [SeLaH].

One of the “investigative work” that takes place in the pre-relationship phase and (should ideally continue) during the active relationship phase is getting to know what gives your partner the most delight.

With respect to my relationship with God, because He created me, He has a vantage point! He knows every detail of everything I find delightful – and boy does He press the right buttons at the right time in the right way!😊💖

To not be able to reciprocate this was a downer (this was the case with me for a long time). So imagine my JOY when the HolySpirit (the ONLY One Who knows the mind of God – 1 Corinthians 2:11) revealed God’s all-time, this-is-THE-ONE-that-gets-Me button! – His Word. #Fireworks #SecretWeapon

… You have exalted Your Name and Your Word above ALL else, and You have magnified Your Word above ALL Your Name.
Psalm138:2

The only human being I know who can relate with what I’ve (since) been doing with this treasure of a button (aka The Word of God) is my earthly father – he definitely gets it! He’s lived it for 30something years!

Now, before you judge me for very likely doing the most with my no-longer-secret secret weapon (God’s Word), keep in my mind that I have a partner-in-‘crime’, the HolySpirit. He is in on it too! He is the one Who shows me the different ways to press the button of God’s Word – He literally takes my hand in His and presses away! 😁💖

The best part is God absolutely loves it! How do I know this? … check out a snippet of His responses:

… you reach into My heart. With one flash of your eyes, I AM undone by your love … you leave Me breathless … I AM overcome by merely a glance of your worshipping eyes … you ravish My heart … your love is My finest wine – intoxicating and thrilling!
Songs of Songs 4:9-10

Every time I believe what He tells me … every time I repeat what He tells me (especially when I’m yet to see the physical/full manifestation of it) … every time I spend time in His Word … every time I fix my thoughts on His Word (fix my gaze, my worshipping eyes, on Him) … every time I make a move in any direction solely based on His Word – all these give Him the MOST pleasure.

What blesses me the most about this is: I’m NOT able to do any of the above on my own or in my own strength – I tried for years and I failed … failed consistently! God does it for me through His Spirit (my partner-in-‘crime’) . 💖💖💖

I will cry to God Most High Who performs all things on my behalf and rewards me!
Psalm 57:2

It is God working in you, giving you the desire and ability (power) to do what pleases Him.
Philippians 2:13

God is how I please God! It may not make sense BUT it is what it is: Truth. This truth liberated me in ways I can’t accurately articulate!

WHY #5: The Word of God is the Highest Authority there is.

Imagine operating on the word, authority, and backing of the CEO at your job versus the word, authority, and backing of your team lead or direct manager. Can the latter supersede the former? Assuredly Not!

The LORD of Host has spoken – who can change His plans? When His hand is raised, who can stop Him?
Isaiah 14:27

The Word of God is the power that absolutely nothing and no one can gainsay or refute.

It is the power that created ALL of creation and holds ALL things in its place! Hebrews 11:3, John 1:3

The operation of the Sun and the Moon. The hand-off between day and night are in effect according to the Word of God.

Storms obey His command! Luke 8:24-25

Dry bones come to life at the command of the Word of God! Ezekiel 37:1-14

There’s a confidence, joy, and peace that comes from having the Word of God as my inheritance (Psalm 119:111), and at my disposal!

Did you know there was a time when God’s Word was scarce? 1 Samuel 3:1

There are those who can NOT hear the Word of God, BUT we are blessed and most privileged to be given the gift of the Word of God which comes with the ability for us to hear.

Faith comes by hearing, hearing comes by the Word of God
Romans 10:17

God speaks to us in so many ways. From my limited (not all inclusive) experience, it could be a thought, a dream, a song, a conversation, a verse in the bible, a line or scene from a TV show or a movie … or even something as seemingly random as a bird eating what I think was left-over bread that the wind blew to my balcony.

No matter what He uses or how He chooses to speak to me per time, He let’s me know it’s Him by echoing what He said through bible references and things about His nature – repeatedly! #Echoes 💖💖💖

My heart’s desire/prayer is that the HolySpirit helps me to continue to care for and regard God’s Word above ALL else.

If you really love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.
John 14:15

For a long time, I read and understood the above bible verse from a religious duty and (consequently) judgmental perspective – a perspective where obedience was an indication of love as opposed to love for God being what births obedience. There’s a difference – in the latter, obedience to God’s Word is an expression of Love for God, not a mere KPI (key performance indicator).

The HolySpirit showed me that Jesus (in John 14:15) was not defining a performance indicator. Instead, He was stating a truth-FULL fact about the nature of any true healthy relationship.

The best way I can currently describe what the HolySpirit helped me understand about what Jesus said in John 14:15 is to draw a relatable parallel – think about someone you genuinely care about and things they like that you naturally won’t gravitate to BUT, because it matters to them, you pay attention and take an interest. Same idea, God’s Word matters MOST to Him (Psalm 138:2) …

… in other words, Jesus was saying: If you really care about Me (love Me), you will care about what matters most to Me [SeLaH].

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Word of God, I love You … enable me to love you MORE (with my entire being). Be my unfeigned desire. You are the voice of God’s love for and to me. By Your Spirit, enable me to treasure You more than my next breath … fix my eyes on You.

There is no valid, justified, or reasonable reason for me to not trust You.

Continually consume me with irresistible longings and cravings to obey You. Make my life one long obedient response to You. Give me an understanding heart and an unrelenting passion to obey You. Unlock my understanding – open my heart to pay attention and respond appropriately to You.

Make me a house built on the Rock (You), make me a city whose foundation is God! Help me to always regard and exalt You above whatever else I think, feel, see, hear. Enable me to actively seek, believe, and expect You always.

Be everything I am and all I know/see.

What You say is what (AND all that) matters.

How much Oil is needed?

The quick answer is … ALL of it – ALL of however much God has given to you.

In an attempt to share how the HolySpirit led me to the above answer, I’ll be referencing three seemingly unrelated yet connected life-giving stories from the bible:

Zechariah’s conversation with (in my opinion) the most hilarious, ‘saltiest‘ Angel ever! (Zechariah 4:1-14).

The Word of God to the Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16), and

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-12).

First, a few foundational context:

Faith = The Word of God

Hebrews 11:1 – Faith is the proof, assurance, substance, of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The evidence is God’s Word.

The Word of God = Jesus (John 1:14 AMPC) = God (John 1:1)

To live by Faith is to live by the Word of God, based on Who God is.

The Word of God AND The Spirit of God (The HolySpirit) are NOT mutually exclusive.

They go hand in hand and are inseparable.

Ecclesiastes 8:4– where the WORD of the King is, there is POWER (His Presence).

With all of the above context in mind, let’s dive in!

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Zechariah 4:1-14

A seemingly half-awake Zechariah is shown a vision and was asked to describe what He saw. He did (Zechariah 4:2-3) but had no clue what they meant, so he asked the Angel who initiated the conversation.

Skipping through the “you-mean-you-ate-of-the-tree-of-knowledge-in-the-Graden-of-Eden-yet-you-don’t-know-what-this-means?” #Salty side comment in verse 5 🤣, the Angel told him the answer – an important truth: The continuous supply of Oil is the Word of God.

This continuous supply of Oil is the Word of God to Zerubbabel saying: not by might, not by power, BUT by My Spirit of Whom the Oil is a symbol, says the LORD of Host.
Zechariah 4:6 (AMP)

Still seemingly hazy about the answer provided (or maybe he forgot, as is the nature of all human kind), Zechariah asked again (Zechariah 4:11) – this time, he was more specific.

It appears as though the Angel ignored him at first because Zechariah had to ask the question again! (Zechariah 4:12) … If you ask me, I think the Angel gave him a side-eye like “didn’t-we-just-go-over-this?”.

Again, skipping through the repeated “you-mean-you-really-don’t-know-this?” side comment in verse 13, the Angel answered (this time) using terms that Zechariah would understand.

These are the two sons of fresh oil – Joshua the high priest, and Zerubbabel the prince of Judah, who stand beside the Master of the whole earth and supply golden lamp oil worldwide.
Zechariah 4:14 (AMP, MSG)

At first glance, it might seem as though the answers in verse 6 and verse 14 are different but they are the exact same!

Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14)

Jesus is the Great High Priest (Hebrews 6:17 -20, 7:16-28 AMPC) 💖💖💖

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

Both answers are the exact same – JESUS.

Key Take-Away: The Oil is the Spirit of Jesus – the Word of God. He is Spirit and Life –John 6:63. His lovely Name is Flowing Oil –SOS 1:3(TPT).

Let me quickly interject by saying thank God we have His Spirit and not the Angel in Zechariah 4, phew!

The HolySpirit is more than happy to tell us the things God wants us to know per time (John 16:13). Also, He lovingly reminds us when we forget (John 14:26).

God is very aware of our forgetfulness; He made provision for that too!💖

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Next stop … 1 Kings 17:7-16

There was drought (and consequently famine) in the land. God told Elijah to go to the city of Zarephath, and that He had instructed a woman (a widow) to provide food for him. Jehovah Jireh (our Provider) in action again! 😊.

Elijah did as he was told. On arrival at the city gate, there was the widow. Without any time-wasting 😊, Elijah asked for water and food (1 Kings 17:10B-11) … the widow’s response (inverse 12 and in a nutshell) was “no can’t do, I don’t have it to give“.

First of all, let’s all acknowledge that we all saw the same thing: God asked someone who was on her last meal to provide food for another person! We all caught that right? If you didn’t, consider taking a moment to read 1 Kings 17:8-12. In it is an important point to note about God’s ways of doing things: not by human effort, might, or wherewithal … it goes beyond the humanly possible.

Second of all, the widow’s response was not what you’d expect from someone who had a prior conversation with God, where He was like: “Hey darling, I want you to provide food for My fiery friend. He’ll be coming over shortly and will be staying at your place for a while”. Her response had a different tone or tune, it sang a different song. No doubt, God instructed her – He certainly did. I’m convinced of this because God does NOT and can NOT lie. I also know that He speaks from the perspective of what He has already done. That said, when did He do this … when did He do what He had done … when did He tell (command, instruct) the widow of Zarephath to host Elijah by providing food for him?

My guess is verse 14 – when GRACE entered the chat. Then came the Spirit-Word of God (THE Oil) to the widow saying:

The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted nor shall the jar of oil be empty before God sends rain on the land and ends the drought.
1 Kings 17:14 (AMP, MSG)

In between promise #1 that she will be supplied (given) all that she requires/needs, promise #2 that she will not die but that she will instead outlast the drought because (and promise #3) the drought will end, is where God commanded/instructed the widow to provide food for Elijah. God’s Word (in this case: His promises) is both the Command and the Grace (ability) needed to carry out the Command.

Upon hearing God’s Spirit-Word to her, something changed – the widow was enabled (graced). She did what she was commanded to do. Another point worth noting about the God’s way of getting things done through us is that God’s Word (i.e. instruction, command, or promise) to do something is the Spirit (Power, Grace) that does it. Furthermore, God provides for what He calls us to (do or be),and what He provides(Grace: THE Oil)is sufficient… it is exactly right and inherently MORE than enough. It is all we need to take the first and every step in Faith.

The widow held on to the Word of God to her. She held on to (and did NOT lose) Faith – the evidence of the promises God made to her. She believed and acted in obedience to God’s Word. True to His nature, the Word of God did what the Word of God said 💖. His Word to her was fulfilled to the letter! The bowl of flour was NOT exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty for the entire duration of the drought/famine (1 Kings 17:16).

Key Take Away: The Oil given is sufficient for the duration of The Wait (the drought, famine, or relay race). There’s always going to be a Wait Time in our walk with God. I will some day (in the future: 2025) understand this Wait Time to be a Time Relay, and will then refer to it as God’s 555 Timer – a device that controls the timing of a God-glorifying event – God’s Grace Timer.

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Okay, last but not least … Mathew 25:1-12.

Here, Jesus uses the parable of ten virgins to describe two categories of people – both called, both given everything they needed to respond appropriately to God’s call – Oil (The Word of God), BUT only one was chosen.

WHY?

The parable of the ten virgins gives us some insight into this.

The five foolish virgins were careless hence the name. The foolish tend to care less about the things of God. Case in point: the foolish man who built his house upon the sand (Matthew 7:26-27). With both the man and these virgins, they heard the Word of God but did not do the needful – they did not receive, trust (hold tight to), or rely on the Grace of God. As we saw with the widow of Zarephath, doing the needful (doing the Word of God) is made possible only by Grace (the Spirit of God) – this is what the Angel told and explained to Zechariah inZechariah 4:6.

We are able to the needful, howbeit humanly impossible, when we believe (actionably, purposefully, usefully receive or keep) the Word of God … when we hold tight to what we’ve been given by God: His Spirit-Word (THE Oil) – all of it. Herein lies the difference between the five foolish virgins vs the five wise virgins. Both were on the same playing field like that of a relay race … both were given all they needed (Grace: The Spirit-Word of God, THE Oil), BUT the foolish five took their God-given Grace forgranted (they cared less about the Spirit-Word of God … they treated Him with less care … they certainly did NOT treat Him as Holy).

One way to look at or better understand the difference between the two groups is that the five foolish virgins held on to a portion of the Oil that they were given – this translates to partial, half, or lukewarm trust in (and obedience to) the Word of God. On the other hand, the five wise virgins held on to ALL of the Oil they were given – this translates to full, unreserved, absolute trust in (and obedience to) the Word of God.

As with any relay race, there was a delay (a planned delay). Nevertheless, the measure of Oil given to each one of them was given based on all things considered (including the delay).

When it was time for the expected end, time to go meet the Bridegroom (the One to Whom and by Whom they were called), the foolish virgins were out of oil – one could say that they were running on fumes or out of juice. They asked the wise virgins for some of their oil BUT they (the wise virgins) said “NO“.

While the wise virgins were right to say “NO“, up until a few weeks ago, I always thought their response was very “not-nice” and not remotely “Christianly”. I went as far as wondering why Jesus would choose (seemingly) not-nice people.

To help correct my misguided perspective on the matter, the HolySpirit showed me what the wise virgins did by saying NO.

… guard and keep My Word of patient/expectant endurance that I gave you … hold tight to what you have (been given), so that no one takes it from you …
Revelation 3:10A, 11B (paraphrased)

By saying NO, the wise virgins held on tight to what they were given – ALL of it. They did NOT let anyone take it from them.

Unlike Esau who gave his inheritance away (Genesis 25:29-34), the wise virgins did NOT give away their Oil – the Word of God to them (their inheritance).

In not giving their Oil away, the wise virgins did NOT lose Faith [SeLah]. This is why they were chosen … why they were allowed to come near (to enter in). Also, it is why the answer to the question: How much Oil is needed? is ALL OF IT – ALL of what you’ve been given.

Key Take-Away: The amount of Oil given is exactly what is needed –no more, no less.

………………………………..

The summary of the matter is this 😊 …

A continuous supply of Oil is needed (and is given) – it is how we live.

… it takes a steady stream of Words from God’s mouth to live.
Matthew 4:4 (MSG)

It is in Him (God’s Word) we live, move, and have our being …
Acts 17:28

By the help of the HolySpirit, continually draw strength from the Word of God (Jesus) – it is the Faith we live by.

… draw your strength from Him, be empowered by your union with Him …
Ephesians 6:10(AMP)

Faith comes by hearing …
… hearing comes by the Word of God.
Romans 10:17

God’s Word to each person is the EXACT amount of Oil needed to get to the expected end – your promised land. It is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:9 – God’s Grace is all we need. It is sufficient regardless of situation.

God’s Grace is the Word of God AND HolySpirit combo given to us by God.

Do NOT give away your Oil – Do NOT lose Faith. Hold on to God’s Word.

What has God told you personally? What has He shown you about Him – about Who He is? What has He promised you? Hold on to ALL of it like your life depends on it because (in truth) it does.

The Word of God is LIFE. Everything else (however pleasurable) is an illusion at best, BUT ultimately death.

If you don’t know or are not sure, ask Him. From my personal experience, the HolySpirit (unlike the Angel in Zechariah 4) is lovingly tender and will very happily tell/show/remind you of the beautiful treasure that is the Word of God. Do NOT take my word/experience for it, take God’s Word instead.

… the Helper, the HolySpirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
John 14:26

Thank you Abba for the gift of YOU (Your Word and Your Spirit). Your Word is the Voice and expression of Your Love. Everything You speak to me is like joyous treasure, filling my life with gladness. Word of God, Your Name is Flowing Oil (Songs of Song 1:3 TPT). You are the joy and the rejoicing of my heart, my heritage forever. Be everything I am and ALL I know. Nothing else will do. Spirit of God, HolySpirit – my marrow, Your presence releases a fragrance so pleasing. I never want to be without You. Thank you for performing ALL things on my behalf.

I am worth The Wait too!

I didn’t see that coming!!

Growing up, from stories like the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) and the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10), I learnt the truth that God is relentlessly patient and that He will pull all stops to get me back.

I AM the LORD your God, I have paid a huge price for you. I gave Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you, that’s how much you mean to Me. Because you are precious in My sight, you are honored and I love you! I’d sell of the whole world to get you back, trade creation just for you.
Isaiah 43:3-4(AMP, MSG)

God’s Love is intense! and I absolutely love and enjoy it! Isaiah 43:3-4 (to me) is a kiss from God! I digress (couldn’t help myself 😊).

Okay … before I get into the HolySpirit-inspired understanding of the revelation that I am worth the wait, let me provide some context:

Waiting is NOT my forte. It is sooooo NOT my strongest suit.

With that cleared up, I’ll jump right in to how I understood what the HolySpirit showed me about what God said to me: I am worth the wait too.

The wait in this context is what is at the end of the waiting: WHAT God gave me, WHAT I am waiting for. By His grace and choice (nothing to do with what I did or did not do), solely by His choice (a choice made in His love), God made me worth what He gave me. In His choice to give me what He has given me, He simultaneously made me worth it (He made me deserving of it).

Hence, I am worth the wait. I am worth what He gave me. In His love, He designed and crafted what He gave/gives me uniquely and specially for me.

It is sooo like God to make us worthy – When you can, check out Isaiah 53. It describes all the stops God pulled for our salvation, it summarily outlines all that Jesus suffered (including death) so that we may have and enjoy LIFE – verse 4 says: the chastisement needful to obtain peace and well-being for us was upon Him, a few verses down (in verse 10), it says: it pleased God to bruise Jesus, to crush Him in pain for us! … for our salvation!

Keep in mind that God chose the penalty. He could have chosen a less hefty price for our salvation, instead He chose one that matched His love for us – His most dearworthy beloved Son (Jesus). A love that made us worth such a precious price.

I Corinthians 6:20 says “we were bought with a preciousness” – we were redeemed, bought back from slavery and the bondage of sin and death!

The truth that I am worth the wait (that I am worth what and ALL God has given me) makes waiting desirable! It gives me an incentive to wait. I recognize that waiting might still not be my forte BUT I look to, and undoubtedly trust, the HolySpirit (my Helper and Marrow) to help me wait.

A couple more related revelations …

Revelation 3:11B (no pun intended 😉). Paraphrasing, it says: hold tight to what you’ve been given, keep a tight grip on it so that no one takes it from you.

Reading the above scripture has since led to the question: What has God given me? I ask this question every now and again to take stock of what God has given me and so that (with the help of the HolySpirit) I can hold tight to it and NOT let anything, or anyone (including myself), take them away from me. #NoTakers

Related Revelation #1: If what’s at the end of the waiting is what God gave me, not waiting is a “Taker”. Not waiting deprives me of what God has given me. In other words, it steals it from me.

The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy BUT I (Jesus) have come that they (believers) mighthaveand enjoy LIFE – real and eternal life, more abundantly and better than they ever dreamed of.
John 10:10

Not waiting on God is a thief! [SeLaH]

Next 😊 …

Mark 11:24 (NKJV)

“ … whatever you ASK for in prayer, BELIEVE you RECEIVE them, and you will HAVE them.”

There’s the Asking, the Believing, the Receiving, and the Having.

What about the Giving? It’s a done deal! It is not an open or pending item. That part is covered!.

BEFORE you call, I will answer … while you are yet (still) talking about your need, I will go ahead and answer.
Isaiah 65:24

God’s divine power (LOVE) has made available to us absolutely everything necessary for LIFE and godliness …
2 Peter 1:3

Related Revelation #2: When God says Ask (Matthew 7:7), He already wants to give. Asking is NOT what inspires God’s giving.

I’ve come to learn that:

God follows (and honors) His own principles, one of which is: ask and it will be given you.

Asking is an expression of Faith (a must-have). Asking requires Believing (a must ~~have~~ be), Asking is important however, it is NOT what inspires God to give.

God (LOVE) is Who inspires God to give – He gives generously, without fault-finding, and not based on me. I am the object of His Love, which is expressed in/through His giving however, I am NOT the criteria for His giving. Nothing I do can make me deserve all that God gives, His love (solely His love) is what makes me deserving.

El Shaddai (Giver of Himself) – the One from Whom ALL blessings flow, Giver of life and every good gift, I acknowledge You, I love You, I appreciate You. Thank you for taking care of me and for loving me the way you do – BECAUSE of you, my heritage is indeed beautiful. You are my inheritance, my prize, my pleasure, my satisfaction, and my portion forever!

I ~~CAN’T~~ wait! (pun intended 😊). I excitedly wait to have and enjoy ALL that You have stored up for me. 1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Samuel 3:11.

… we can NOT round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the HolySpirit.
Romans 5:5(MSG)

In spite of my natural inclination (weakness), I confidently say I CAN wait because I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me through His Spirit (the HolySpirit) Who is a foretaste of ALL that You have given me and have stored up for me (Ephesians 1:14).

The beauty of Surrender

Since my enrollment in the school of surrender, here’s what I’ve learnt …

Surrender leads to MORE. The “math” seems off, but it is intriguingly and assuredly true. John 12:25 MSG Luke 6:38 MSG James 4:6

“The price for all of God is all of me” – SeLaH

Surrender requires humility – letting go of my self–consciousness (my self-orientation). Giving up my sense of self (aspects of my self that I exalt i.e. my reputation, ego, intellect, preferences … fears, weaknesses, insecurities, including my attempts to overcome them). Dying to self.

Surrender is a genuine expression of worship (Romans 12:1 TPT).

The first step can be scary … BUT no matter, it is the HolySpirit who enables the first step of surrender and all other/subsequent ones. Zechariah 4:6, Philippians 2:13

These steps are not to be taken on my own (Jeremiah 2:13, Proverbs 3:5) … the truth is, I can’t take any of the steps – not without the Holy Spirit (John 15:5).

I found it fascinating and (more so) endearing that …

God’s call to surrender is Him asking me to give up something He Himself gave up for me.

“Let Christ Jesus be your example in humility – He, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God, did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or asserted …

… BUT He emptied Himself out – stripped Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity, gave up everything, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. Furthermore, He abased and humbled Himself in obedience to God and unto death – death on the cross!” Philippians 2:5-8

God’s call to surrender is Him asking me to give up something He first gave to me.

“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7, Ezekiel 37:1-14

God promised Abraham a son (Genesis 17:15-19) —–> God gave Abraham a son – Isaac (Genesis 21:1-3) —–> God asked Abraham to give up Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19).

God said, take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
Genesis 22:2

RE: Call to Surrender – Abba, on the authority of Your Word and on the basis of who You are, I come (Hebrews 4:16 AMPC), I look to You for grace to surrender – to let go of all of me. Thank You HolySpirit for performing this for me (Psalm 57:2). I give my self and my life over to (and in exchange for) You – You are the life I choose.

“… I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loves me so very much that He gave Himself for me and dispenses His life into mine.” Galatians 2:20

… okay, off I go – back to class! 😊

It may not make “sense” … BUT It is what It is: Truth.

It reinforces the truth that God performs all things on my behalf.

“… God Most High (El Elyon) performs and accomplishes all things on my behalf – He brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them – and He rewards me”. Psalm 57:2 (AMPC, AMP)

WOW! God does it (whatever it is) for me and then He says:

Good job kiddo, here’s your reward!

……………………………………………………………………….

For any number of reasons, be it your experience of homework, schoolwork, workwork 😊, or may be even how God has been presented to you, you might say, “this doesn’t make sense”.

You are right, it doesn’t! 😊 BUT I’ve learnt (and continue to learn) that God’s ways typically do NOT make sense to the human mind and related mechanisms.

… your ways are NOT My Ways …
Isaiah 55:8-9

Romans 5:19 – For just as by one man’s disobedience, many became sinners, so too by one Man’s (JESUS’) obedience, many are made righteous and acceptable to God. Jesus’ obedience to God – an obedience unto and to the point of death (Philippians 2:8) – met ALL requirements (past, present, future), including the chastisement needful to obtain peace and well-being for us (Isaiah 53:5).

2 Corinthians 5:21 – God made Him (Jesus) Who knew no sin (Who never sinned) to be the offering for our sin, so that in Him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God.

Soooo … God performs all things for us, He accomplishes whatever is required of us … What then are we supposed to do?

Contrary to popular notions and our natural inclinations, Life in and with God is NOT about “doing”. Better put, it is NOT a do–it–yourself life – Romans 8:12 (MSG). It does NOT require cisterns of any kind (Jeremiah 2:13). The beginning and entirety of Life in and with God is believing in the Word of God (Jesus).

Be not afraid, ONLY BELIEVE … ONLY keep on believing
Mark 5:36B (KJV, AMPC)

In other words Mark 5:36B is saying: take courage in obedience (in all that Jesus is and all that He has done – in the finished work of Christ: Ephesians 2:1-10).

HOW? believe the Word of God (Jesus) … believe what He says, what He tells you – John 6:45.

He is Truth, the essence and origin of Truth itself … His Word is Truth.
John 14:6 I John 5:6 John 17:17

… and live by what He says. Matthew 4:4B

Guess what?! God performs all of the above for us too!

Through God (The HolySpirit), God (Jesus) enables us to take courage in – to believe in and live by – God (El Elyon).

God is how we obey God
Truth

At this point, you might be wondering: Is it really this easy? The Truth is: it most assuredly is 😊. Not my words, but Jesus’ – the Word of God Himself:

Whatever it is, God is how it gets done.

Any other way is works without Faith – SeLaH.

The four-letter word that changed my life forever!

One of my early interactions with Jesus (in my renewed walk with Him) was of Him saying: “COME … Come to Me … bring it to Me … bring you to Me”.

I can’t tell you exactly how many times He said this, but it was a lot! It was my bad (covers face), it took a min and then some for me to get it.

Initially (and for a while) my response was “BUT ………” and His response each time was always: “COME … bring it to Me”.

With the help of the HolySpirit, I have since (then) and continue to go to Him. I take me to Him – my weaknesses, struggles, insecurities, fears – yes, even my fears.

Like David in Psalm 34:4, with the help of the HolySpirit, I have learnt and I’m continually enabled to go to God on the authority and basis of His Word (Matthew 11:28A – COME).

Without fail, He frees me from my fears.

When I fall, I take me to God. Full transparency, this one was quite difficult to do. I was always hung up on the fall – I was blinded by it and my inability to not fall. I wanted to show “solidarity” and commitment to God by not falling. I was more fixated on getting it right or why I couldn’t get it right, I wanted to … but I didn’t. I later learnt that I canNOT not fall without the help of the HolySpirit … it’s impossicanNOT! 😊

Not by might, not by power, BUT (ONLY) by My Spirit, says the Lord
Zechariah 4:6

Another life-changing lesson the HolySpirit taught me was that IF when I fall, my response to me should always be God, not me BUT (and ONLY) God – His Faithfulness, His Word (Jesus) … and He says: COME.

IF we come to Him admitting that we have sinned, and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (He is true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins (wrongdoings) and will continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness – everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action. 1 John 1:9

I love 1 John 1:9 on multiple levels! It calls out what the response to our sinful nature should be. It speaks of a guaranteed promise – because God canNOT not be Himself, His response if we come to Him will always be love, mercy, salvation, and (in my case) hugs 😊.

If you’ve gotten to the end of yourself and are weary, I echo the Word of God and His heart: COME.

“… everyone who is thirsty, COME to the Waters …” Isaiah 55:1

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? COME to Me. I will refresh your life, for I AM your Oasis. Come away with Me and you will recover your life. I will give you rest, I will ease, relieve, and refresh your souls.
Matthew 11:28

Naked or not, COME … However you are, COME

Considering that we live in a world where people are likely not inclined to look our way if we don’t present a certain way, I reckon this might be difficult to believe, but I assure you (on the basis of Who God is) that it does NOT matter what you’ve done or how you are. COME any way.

Let God’s LOVE take care of the what and the how. Let God’s WORD (Jesus) cleanse you (John 17:17) and make you everything that You were created to be – what gives God the most pleasure.

You just take the first step toward Him – a step into a whole new world!

In partnership with the HolySpirit, I encourage you to COME.

The HolySpirit and the bride say, COME! … Let everyone who is thirsty, everyone who is painfully conscious of their need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened … let them come, take, and drink the water of Life without cost [simply accept it as a free gift from God].
Revelation 22:17

I pray that the HolySpirit enables you to take the first step and each one that follows. The HolySpirit is our Helper – the One Who performs all things on our behalf. You won’t have to navigate your walk toward and with Jesus alone. We shouldn’t have to … I dare say we weren’t designed (and aren’t supposed) to – Jeremiah 2:13.

On the assurance that if you let Him, the HolySpirit will enable your first (and all steps) toward Jesus, I say: Welcome to the most satisfying LIFE there is and can be! 😊

… to the thirsty, I Myself will give water without price (freely) from the Fountain of the Water of Life.
Revelation 21:6

In other words, Jesus is saying: COME to Me and I Myself will satisfy you!

“I will satisfy you with a full Life (Life Eternal – John 10:10). For you will enjoy the fullness of My salvation.” Psalm 91:16

The Bridegroom (Jesus), the HolySpirit, and the bride (yours truly) say: COME.