Wait For David

                 So Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation church had a sermon this week called What You Call Small. He used this phrase, wait for David. This stood out to me and dropped in my spirit. So I feel like I’m in a waiting period. Last week I wrote about waiting for the battle cry and I’m still waiting to hear the Lord activate me. Now I’m waiting for David to show me when to shift out of my current position. This term wait for David got me thinking, why can’t I just wait on the next thing that is coming in my life? Samuel didn’t know he would have to go through 7 of Jesse’s sons before he discovered the youngest wasn’t among them. The youngest was David. He was the one who didn’t seem like king material in his father’s eyes but he was king material in his Heavenly Father’s eyes.  Samuel is not the only one who had to wait for David to come. Jesse and his 7 other sons had to wait as well. Did they know they were waiting for the next king of Israel to be anointed? The bible doesn’t tell us but I imagine they had no idea that they were waiting for the next king of their people. I imagine that some questioned why not me?

Maybe David questioned, why not now? David did not sit on the throne right away. He had to wait for 22 years before he became king. During that 22 years the previous king Saul was trying to kill him. Do you think David got bitter waiting for the throne? I don’t. If you read the psalms you get a good glimpse of what David did in the waiting. He worshipped, he praised, he turned to God. He not only did that but sometimes he did question God and felt God had turned away from him. One huge thing he did was killed Goliath. Another big thing he did was something he didn’t do and that was he didn’t kill Saul even though he had the opportunity twice to end Saul’s life. If he had killed Saul his running for his life would have ended. Saul was God’s first anointed king and David honored that. He said who am I to touch the Lord’s anointed?

We can learn a lesson from David. When we see those in authority over us don’t speak against them even if they mistreat you. Why? Because God has placed that person in authority over you so when you speak out against them you speak out against God.  When Saul died in battle David mourned his death.

Wait for David. Samuel had to go through 7 sons, none of them had the potential to be king. None of them had the right heart to be king. What does David represent? A shepherd, one who had the right heart, warrior, strong, deliverer. He didn’t become king right away so he had to wait humbly even though Saul was trying to kill him. God didn’t tell Samuel who the next king was. All Samuel knew was that he was to go to Jesse. Are you waiting for God to tell you what the next phase of your life is going to be? Can you just sit still and wait for God to show you exactly where he wants you? Samuel had to wait before David came. He went through each son expectantly and he even had to ask Jesse if these were all his sons. The youngest wasn’t even considered to be in the presence of the prophet. They didn’t even tell David! He was overlooked by his father but he was not overlooked by God. The years David spent running from Saul strengthened and built his character. What did David learn? Sometimes we have to be still and wait on God. What does that mean for us? Sometimes we need to be still and let God bring David into our lives. Sometimes God doesn’t tell us what new thing he’s bringing into our lives.

What did bringing David bring to Israel. Strength. A man after God’s own heart. God wants your heart to strive after him. The word says to love the lord your God with all your heart. If we do that we can’t go wrong.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matthew 22:37 KJV

What 7 sons do you have go through before your David comes? Can you wait and know that the one who does come, the job that does come, the house that does come, the husband that does come will be the one with the right heart. It will be the one that was specially made just for you and for that time as well.

David already had a heart for God before he was ever anointed king. You too have a heart for God. David saw how mighty God was to deliver. David was a shepherd, and a lion and a bear tried to take away his sheep and David, a young boy, defeated that lion and bear and his sheep were spared. Just as he defeated Goliath for he knew that God was with him and that God would deliver Israel.

What is it that you need deliverance from?

Do you know that God wants to deliver you from that addiction?

From that pain?

From that abusive relationship?

Can you turn to God and wait for David?

 David was the beginning of Israel’s deliverance, which would later come from Jesus through David’s lineage.

Your deliverance is on the way.

Wait for David.

I’m here.

I’m listening.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

Waiting for the Battle Cry

             So there has been a shift in my perspective and I am willing to be moved from my current position into the position the Lord had for me all along. I fully believe I’m going to be in ministry at some point in my life. I fully believe I’m going to be writing full-time. I just don’t know when. So I wait. So far I’m waiting patiently for the Lord to speak, but I haven’t been waiting long. What are you waiting for? Are you ready for the Lord to move? I know that the Lord has to prepare my heart for what is to come. He has challenges that are uniquely made for me and he brings those challenges because he knows they will strengthen my faith. They will strengthen my reliance on him.

I’m not the only one who has waited on the Lord to activate his people. In the book of Acts Jesus tells them,

Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5 NLT

So Jesus followers did as he commanded and waited. So too should we wait on God for his timing is perfect.

So I feel like I’m waiting for a battle for the Lord’s kingdom. I’m waiting for the souls I’m going to reach. They are not here yet and while I wait I meditate on the goodness of God. He took me from being suicidal, thinking I was possessed by demons, so very broken and set my feet upon the rock (Jesus) and put a new song in my mouth (Psalm 40:1-3). He has set me free to be a warrior for his kingdom.

I’m waiting for the battle cry to activate me to go in with my sword ready into the battlefield. The sword is the truth of God and the battlefield is souls waiting to come to know Christ. You too will be activated for battle dear readers, if you let the Lord do a great work in you. I can feel that waiting period. Waiting patiently for the Lord to activate you, me, us, just waiting until the Lord says go this is where I’m sending you. I can’t wait to be used by God fully. Right now I’m not reaching out to people as much as I should. So therefore in the waiting I should speak of Christ everywhere I go. If I want to be a mouthpiece of the Lord I need to speak now and not later. I don’t need to wait for God to give me his Holy Spirit to give me the right words for the Holy Spirit already lives inside of me. So too does he live inside of you dear reader.

What will you do with your waiting period?

I want to get to know the word of God more. I want to let God use me to pray for people and encourage people. I want to feel the love of the Lord and give the love of the Lord. I want to get rid of my selfish ways and stop thinking about myself so much and consider how to love others. God has me in a holding pattern, so I’m waiting to hear from the Lord on where to go next. Here I am Lord send me!

How about you dear reader?

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

Unsheath Your Weapon

               Dear reader I believe this blog is a call for you to begin to be activated in the Lord’s army. I see you ready to pull the sword from its sheath. The blade is about to be in your hand. Let’s pause for a minute and consider the strongest weapon you have that is most affective for God’s kingdom.

                For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 NLT

The word of God pierces the darkness. I see you beginning to pierce the darkness by bringing your light to others. There’s no one like you in the world. You, yes you, are able to speak to others and encourage them by the words that you speak. Can you be a little kinder today and reach out to that person you haven’t talked to in a while? You are a light for God’s kingdom and you will pierce the darkness, the deadness inside. You will speak life and you will bring life into dead situations.

We do not come into the darkness empty handed. We have the word of the Lord on our lips and the Holy Spirit in our hearts and a heart thirsty for the Lord. You will set people free from their bondage. I see chains of oppression coming off people by the word of God pouring from your lips.

When we put on the full armor of God every piece is necessary, but none so necessary as the word of God and the helmet of salvation.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 KJV

You carry the word and the Holy Spirit. Salvation is what happens in our hearts and we activate that with our lips. What we say is so powerful. With our words we can’t help but profess of what God has done for us. What has God done for us? He has saved us from a life riddled by sin and death and put our feet on the rock of Jesus. His blood has set us free from the power of sin and death. He has brought us eternal life.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him. Psalm 28:7 KJV

You may question who am I to bring forth the word of the Lord. So too did Moses question who was he to go before Pharaoh. God responded with I will be with you. He didn’t tell Moses who Moses was he told Moses who he was and that he’d be with him. So maybe we don’t need to know who we are. Maybe we just need to know whose we are to go forth. Maybe we just need to know who God is.

But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” Exodus 3:11-12 NLT

You need not fear for God’s word accomplishes that which he wants it to. It does not come back void.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV

Go with a heart ready to speak life and God will make it come to pass.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

So I encourage you to speak life today. No longer look at a situation as too far gone for God to intervene and speak life into that spouse, that child, that friend, that coworker. It will bless them and will also bless you because when you speak life you can’t help but live it.

What situation can you speak life into today?

I’m here.

I’m listening.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

Deliverance: Out of the Fire

           Dear reader just recently I was in a refining fire. I had to do contact tracing at work and it was a great source of anxiety for me. I found out on Wednesday that I am no longer doing contact tracing. I am so grateful that it’s over. However, I’m glad that I went through it. God showed me for one how to live in the moment. I could not predict one call from the next so I had to face the details of the call right then and there. He taught me to trust him. I came to the realization through God that he allows everything that comes to me, but it has to go through him first. So if God is bringing a certain situation your way just know that God approved of that trial before you ever faced it. Why does God approve of these trials? Because he knows that we are going to come out of it more refined for his kingdom. He knows our faith will grow stronger in the face of adversity. God gave me these words:

       You need not fear, face the fire for you shall not be burned. It is to refine you. I am with you be of good couraqe. My child I’m here. I am refining you. You shall fear no more for I am with you. Turn to me with every concern, every care I am doing it for your good. You will be healed. You are healed.

      It’s like the 3 Hebrew boys who were thrown in the fire. They refused to bow down to the statue of  Nebuchadnezzar II. This made the king very angry. They did not fear because they knew God would deliver them. They knew God was with them. They did not even smell like smoke. Not a hair on their head was singed. So too shall it be for you dear reader. So I can take heart. I can be joyful for God is with me. Praise God.

        If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. Daniel 3:17

       They were so confident of their God and unwavering in their faith and obedience. So faithful. Jesus himself brought them up out of the fire. I am refined. The contact tracing was a refining fire. I have come away with a renewed confidence in God.

          So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7

       So don’t fear the trials that come your way. Expect them. They will come. God will refine you and make you a purer form of gold for his kingdom and his glory.

       What refining fire are you facing?

        You can be confident and bold. God will deliver you from the fiery trial and you won’t even smell like smoke.

        I’m here.

         I’m listening.

         Genuinely Yours,

               Amy Z