"And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."
1 Kings 19:12
Wow. It's amazing how Scripture written over two thousand years ago can still ring true in my heart. It's eternal relevance is a testament of its Inspiration. The above scripture from 1 Kings describes, almost to a tee, the season in which I've found myself. The Lord had to come in a break up ground that had become dry. (Yes, even in ministry there are seasons of dryness-- I know, I was shocked at first, too.) Much like an earthquake, I could feel things in my life begin to shake. It was a slight shift but quickly grew. Soon after, there was a fire. The Spirit of God began to burn away worldviews, loyalties, and ventures that would have severely hindered God's direction for my life. The beauty of it all is the still small voice that came after. That's what makes it worth it. It's like the calm after the storm. You look around and see the debris and mess being swept out to sea. You hear the voice of Your Savior and know that He prepared and protected your heart for every step on the way. That, my friend and dear reader, is the beauty of the still small voice.
Tonight, I was worshiping along with the International House of Prayer (IHOP), online, and began to immerse myself in the Presence of the Lord. Soon, my prayers turned to Leah and our future life together. Above all else, my prayer was that I could love her extravagantly. It's like the Holy Spirit was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit speak. Love Me extravagantly. As your love for Me grows, your love for Leah will increase. In my heart of hearts, I knew what He was saying. I knew that if I kept Jesus as the King of my life, our marriage, and our home He would take care of everything else that burdened my heart-- that included being the priest of our home, the godly husband, and loving father that I am called to be. How perfect is that? How perfectly simple. Love Me. I'll take care of everything else.
One cool thing that the Holy Spirit put on my heart was to begin journaling-- for my sons. Starting today, I'll begin writing down struggles, answered prayers, crappy songs that never get performed, and testimonies of how God worked in their parents lives. I'll encourage them, council them, and fill them in on my mistakes. The contents will be kept away until they are old enough to handle the honesty of their dad, but I don't mind sharing the first entry as a close to this blog:
1 Kings 19:12
Wow. It's amazing how Scripture written over two thousand years ago can still ring true in my heart. It's eternal relevance is a testament of its Inspiration. The above scripture from 1 Kings describes, almost to a tee, the season in which I've found myself. The Lord had to come in a break up ground that had become dry. (Yes, even in ministry there are seasons of dryness-- I know, I was shocked at first, too.) Much like an earthquake, I could feel things in my life begin to shake. It was a slight shift but quickly grew. Soon after, there was a fire. The Spirit of God began to burn away worldviews, loyalties, and ventures that would have severely hindered God's direction for my life. The beauty of it all is the still small voice that came after. That's what makes it worth it. It's like the calm after the storm. You look around and see the debris and mess being swept out to sea. You hear the voice of Your Savior and know that He prepared and protected your heart for every step on the way. That, my friend and dear reader, is the beauty of the still small voice.
Tonight, I was worshiping along with the International House of Prayer (IHOP), online, and began to immerse myself in the Presence of the Lord. Soon, my prayers turned to Leah and our future life together. Above all else, my prayer was that I could love her extravagantly. It's like the Holy Spirit was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit speak. Love Me extravagantly. As your love for Me grows, your love for Leah will increase. In my heart of hearts, I knew what He was saying. I knew that if I kept Jesus as the King of my life, our marriage, and our home He would take care of everything else that burdened my heart-- that included being the priest of our home, the godly husband, and loving father that I am called to be. How perfect is that? How perfectly simple. Love Me. I'll take care of everything else.
One cool thing that the Holy Spirit put on my heart was to begin journaling-- for my sons. Starting today, I'll begin writing down struggles, answered prayers, crappy songs that never get performed, and testimonies of how God worked in their parents lives. I'll encourage them, council them, and fill them in on my mistakes. The contents will be kept away until they are old enough to handle the honesty of their dad, but I don't mind sharing the first entry as a close to this blog:
Dear son,
It's your dad. I'm 22 years old right now. Your mom and I haven't even married yet. Just wanted to let you know that I'm really excited about being your dad. One of my biggest fears is not being a good dad. I'm sure you can share in my concern. Here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to love your mom, love Jesus, and do my best. I know I'll make mistakes but I'm asking you to forgive me already. Son, love the Lord. It's always worth it. It will always be worth it. Oh!-- and remember, I will always love you.
Love,Dad
Just wanted to say that your blog from last night really ministered to me. I've been going thru some strange things lately and really needed that!! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete-A., via facebook
What a great idea, Josephe!
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