Outshining the Diamonds ... the beauty of now

Outshining Diamonds

(December 2015)

The enormity of this moment

engulfs me with wonder,

overwhelming my senses,

and words flee to the far corners of my mind

intimidated by the role

I so want them to play -

as if they could capture and convey

the depths of this moment.

Silver and diamonds encircle her finger,

sparkling with exquisite delicacy,

yet even they cannot capture the depths

of a love so pure, brimming with expectancy,

while white lights twinkle among green branches,

with memories of the expectations

of two decades of hope

and joy

and love that surpass it all.

Tears flow so much more readily than words

spilling forth in joy unspeakable

yet still yearning for something more -

something beyond even this nearly perfect moment.

Could it be that this lingering taste of beauty

stirs an ancient memory deep within,

when the purest Love in the universe

spoke a word and I became?

Longing unleashed in my innermost chambers

rises to lips that whisper-exclaim, “Glory!”

later echoing in dreams, until the sun rises

and footsteps upstairs remind me

that no matter the depths of this moment,

solitude will retreat and the day will unfold,

just like every other day,

with buttered toast,

laundry piles,

and sibling squabbles …

Like every other day,

except for the dazzling sparkle of the diamonds,

nearly matched by the sparkle in her eyes,

And this echo of eternal stirrings

still gently plucking strings deep within,
reminding me that the Love that I live longing for

will someday outshine

even the most exquisite diamonds,

even the purest of loves

that we have ever known.

Those Who Know Their God Will Do Great Exploits

Do not let fear have a foothold or even a toehold.

The choice is one you make DAILY and sometimes hourly and minute by minute.

I am HOPE eternal.  When people seek healing without seeking a daily, abiding relationship in Me as Healer, they miss the main thing.

 There is a battle going on, and as long as you remain IN ME, remembering that your life is hidden with Christ in God, you will not fear that battle at all.  It is when you forget whose you are and where you belong (hidden in me) that you see “the giants in the land.”  What made Caleb and Joshua brave?  Confidence in Me.  Where did that confidence come from?

I don’t know, Lord.

Caleb and Joshua saw me rightly.  They knew their God.  The ten spies did not.  They took their eyes from Me and my promises and put their eyes on the problem before them.  Joshua and Caleb didn’t doubt.  When they saw the land, they only saw the possibilities, the promise, the victory!  They trusted Me because they understood who I am!

Unbelief is the core issue, and yet unbelief itself is rooted in not knowing Me for who I am.

But Lord, I still don’t understand.  When people seem to be focused on You and focused on Truth, and they pray with faith and believe, why are they still so frequently sidelined by fear? 

At the core of the issue is knowledge of who I AM.  The only way that people become convinced of who I Am is by experiencing me. Direct experience!  For those who have spent years trying to understand and grab hold of this with their minds without revelation of Who I Am, there is New Hope of learning it directly from being in my presence.  I will take away all their fears!

Caleb and Joshua knew their God.  Blessed are the people who know their God.  I appeared to them.  Why them?  Why not others?  I respond to desire, and I respond to faith.  Those who expect to see Me will see Me.  

Dan 11:32b - … but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

Joshua 5:13 – When I appeared to Joshua, everything changed.  He knew Me and all fear was gone.  There was no going back from an encounter like that!

13Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”  14“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord^e have for his servant?” 15The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua fell face down before me, then he took off his sandals to stand on my holy ground.

"Caleb had a different spirit.  He did not have a spirit of fear."

How did Caleb come to choose that, Lord?

Caleb chose to fix his eyes on Me by associating with Joshua.  When you choose to associate and bind yourself to those who have seen God, you will move toward more faith.  My revelation of power to Caleb is not directly recorded in scripture, but you can tell that he knew me because of his faith in me.

My word to everyone is this:  Be one who sees me.  Be one who trusts me.  Revelation of ME and my true nature produces FAITH that moves mountains.

Encourage others to SEEK ME and KNOW ME.  Remind them of the stories.  Those who experienced me directly did great exploits! 

From Moses to Paul, from James to Peter. All had direct experiences with seeing Me for who I AM.

See Me and my power and love.  When you choose to SEE ME, everything else grows dim by comparison.

Think of the times you have chosen to see me in your circumstances.  When you choose to believe that I AM good and that what I call you to is all good, then fear must flee.  

Just as Caleb and Joshua saw the Promised Land as a great opportunity, so you have seen the trials and tribulations of parenting as great opportunities. But when you chose fear instead of faith -- when the problems seemed like giants that threatened to overcome you - you started looking all around for answers outside of me.  Remember that every time you chose faith and chose to seek ME for the answers, you gained victory.  Continue to choose faith over fear.

How Lord?

The choice to SEE ME is one that is made daily, sometimes hourly.  The choice to see me is the choice to choose faith over fear.  Over and over again.

Everyone wants an answer that sets them free from daily dependence.  But my answer is that you are designed for daily, hourly dependence, until every breath is breathing in me.  That is my desire for ALL my children - daily, hourly ongoing relationship, continually choosing to trust Me and know Me. 

Those who know their God will do great exploits!!

But God, It's Not Fair! - Ps 73 Meditation

A Meditation.

How often do we allow our mind to stay fixed on thoughts of “It’s not fair!” and “Why, God?”   As we allow these thoughts to grow in our minds, they take on a life of their own, spinning us in a downward spiral.

What if instead we brought all these questions into the quiet place with the Lord and allowed His Word to bring truth to light up our understanding?  How would we perceive our circumstances differently?

 

Using Psalm  73

This Psalm begins with Asaph’s major Rant about how the wicked prosper and how he has kept himself in God’s ways for nothing, apparently … because all it seems to bring is suffering, while the wicked have it easy. 

 

Psalm 73 (by Asaph)

[Oh, Lord.  Don’t you see this?  These wicked and arrogant people…]

8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression….
And [yet they are] always at ease, and have increased in wealth....

¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence;¹⁴ For I have been stricken all day long
And chastened every morning.

  

The Psalm continues:

16 When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight¹⁷ Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.

Essentially Asaph says, when I thought about all these thoughts – how things aren’t going the way they should  - and pondered and meditated on all of this unfairness and strife, all I got was trouble and fear.  However, when I finally came into the sanctuary of God (where I can see things from God’s perspective), then I was able to perceive correctly.

How often do we allow our mind to stay fixed on thoughts of “It’s not fair!” and “Why, God?”   As we allow these thoughts to grow in our minds, they take on a life of their own, spinning us in a downward spiral.

What if instead we brought all these questions into the quiet place with the Lord and allowed His Word to bring truth to light up our understanding?  How would we perceive our circumstances differently?

When Asaph sees these circumstances in the light of God’s truth (in the sanctuary), he is then finally able to see that the end of the wicked is NOT good at all. He elaborates on this – a little giddy at finally seeing their true end.  This shifts his perspective so that the Psalm that began as a rant ends with some of the more beautiful statements of God's goodness to us.  Keep reading!

At this point Asaph continues by stating that even though he experienced heartache and a lack of wisdom, he now can see that there is a very real answer to the problem: Pressing into the reality of God’s nearness, and receiving God’s counsel.

21 -When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,²² Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.

²³ Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.

The Bible is clear.  God is ALWAYS with us.  Jesus says, “I will NEVER leave you.”  We can ask and expect that Jesus is right here in the midst of all this stuff, taking our hand even!

²⁴ With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.

(NLT version: You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.)

God gives the best counsel.  He leads us from glory to glory and strength to strength. (2 Cor 3:18)*

^{The Psalm, continues}

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

When I feel my heart is weakened by the cares of this life, I can rest in this assurance: It is GOD who is the strength of my heart.  I don’t have to be strong in my own strength.  He is my strength.

^……28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.

God’s nearness is my good.  He is so near!  There is no need to fear!

ASK for this!  Remember, we have not because we ask not.

A Model Prayer:

Lord, thank you so much for your nearness to me.  Remind me to look to YOU first rather than allowing the cares and concerns and negative thoughts to run circles in my mind. 

I ASK YOU to provide me with wisdom, discernment, faith, trust, and tenacity to KEEP ON thinking on that which is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and excellent! (Php 4:8).  Please give me eyes that are open to see TRUTH all day long. 

Please give me eyes that are open to see YOU beside me all day long.  I know that there must be so many times that You want to take my hand, but I don’t even notice.  I know that YOU are always NEAR – oh so near to me - but most of the time I remain unaware of your presence.  I don’t want to live that way any longer.  Your nearness is my GOOD!  So, I choose to ASK over and over again for You to turn on my awareness of the reality of your nearness.  I want to see You, hear You, smell You, and feel You!  

Just as Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing, so I want to SEE what You are doing, Father, and walk in the footsteps of Jesus every day.  I can only do that with a heart that is awake, spiritual eyes that are open, and spiritual ears that are listening.  Do this in me even today, Lord, I pray!  Amen!

--

2 Cor 3:18 

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

Pamela K. Amlung