moving from independence

What a season we are in! With society losing its compass on morality, violence rampant and God, our beautiful Father, being misrepresented as irrelevant or unloving, there is a huge and growing number of people flailing for direction and emotional, physical and mental peace. Both within and outside of the body of Christ, we see people retreating into survival mode, trusting their own wisdom and guidance instead of the Father’s. 

Sadly, when we enter a survival perspective, we inevitably become the ones in control, where every burden falls on us. We end up feeling isolated and alone because we have made ourselves the authors of our own peace and solutions, excluding our heavenly Father. It is a grievous thing watching Christians who follow Jesus struggle with the same confusion, exhaustion, and lack of peace and love as the world, feeling alone and abandoned. It breaks my heart because we have a Father who provides true life and peace. We are not alone or abandoned.  

Every time I drift from my Father’s presence and become distracted, or “lone wolf” my life out of pride, I am so thankful for my heavenly Father! He meets me with open arms, surrounding me with His love again. Peace from the Father is a surety, a refuge in the storm. And, my friends, the storm of the world is raging.  

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 
Phil. 4:6–7 ​

Easy for me to say, right? Not really! My heart has been in bootcamp, learning to surrender to Him, His timing, His ways and priorities. After all, we must do our part to receive the gift of peace. It takes intentionality and action. What does Paul say? In every situation with thanksgiving, prayer and petition, we are to present our requests to the Father. How often do we jump into problem-solving mode and skip going to the Father entirely? The gift of approaching the Father with thanksgiving and bringing Him everything we are dealing with is that each time we engage with Him, we step into His presence. We abide with Him. And not only can we enjoy abiding with the Father, but we can also receive the added power of His presence that comes with praise. Abiding with the Father means we are living in His presence, of course, but praise increases this. The Father literally inhabits our praise! 

“Yet you are holy, 
enthroned on the praises of Israel.” 
Ps. 22:3 ​

“Enthroned on the praises” is the Hebrew word yāšaḇ, which means “to dwell, remain, sit, abide”. God dwells in our praises and actually makes His abode in them! In today’s climate, we desperately need the Father’s presence. Praise is an offering with huge rewards! ​​

I need to refresh myself multiple times a day with the Father, to reset my heart, mind and spirit with Him, to offset the worldly culture and remind myself of who He is, and to invite Him to walk with me through my day. Because abiding with the Father requires devotion. It is not enough for me to barrel through my day, assuming He will keep up. 

So, may I encourage you to take time with the Father today? If you struggle to trust Him with your problems, tell Him that! It’s okay. Posturing our hearts honestly with the Lord is a powerful thing. Engage with your heavenly Father today and find something to thank Him for. Even small gifts of gratitude help shift our mindsets and perspectives of the Father, grounding us in the truth of who He is. When worries, hard decisions or hurts arise, share them with the Father. Then listen for His response. 
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He is the true author of peace. Our refuge in the storm. And He is just waiting to be invited into your circumstances, to walk with you and be the Father you need. 

Blessigs,
Christine​