Doing It Like a Queen – Discernment

She had great wisdom to know how to handle any situation.
When I initially read this statement, a few things came to mind. We could easily speak about the way we deal with people… but as I thought deeper though all these things are equally important one thing did come to mind.

Knowing when to fight and when to wait .

Thinking deeply about Queen Esther and the decision she made she knew exactly how to do this. A bit of context on her story – Queen Esther found herself in a situation where she was physically speaking the only one who could save her people, and with this she took a massive step. She placed herself not only in a difficult situation, but the decision she made to confront the King about the planned massacre, if rejected would cost her her life (Read Esther).

We may never face a situation such as that of Queen Esther, but we too have our own battles and we must know how to judge each situation. When it is the time to go before God in purpose and fight for what we want, and when it’s a moment of humility and we must trust in our God.

Each situation brings about different requirements of how it should be dealt with, and we have to have wisdom to know what each situation is demanding from us.

Sometimes the easiest thing to do is fight and do purposes of faith, to try to gain what we want with our own strength in hope that we will successfully “shake Gods throne” and make sense of what we are being faced with. At times it’s easier to recite Bible verses, and believe that “this fight is the Lords…” when in truth the situation requires an act of faith.

“Okay, I get it Peniel, but how do I know what to do?” Simple, seek Gods guidance. Ask Him what He would have you do in that situation. If necessary He will inspire you with a purpose of faith, or He will encourage you to invest in other things and persevere in faith or He may even be silent. Baring in mind His silence isn’t a free pass for us to just do what we think is best. In those moments of silence continue to seek, and He will guide your every step – How? Through His Word of course. What has He been saying to you recently? What is the Word He has been allowing to play in your mind? That’s what He wants you to focus on.

You must understand that If now is a moment to allow God to act, this does not mean you are not in faith or even not revolted. It just means that that is what God requires from you in this moment. It’s so important we get this right, because getting this wrong can lead to frustration, anxiety and even malice towards God.

One of the hardest things to do when you’re far from God is to posses the ability to discern – to truly understand what He wants you to do. There will be times in life where you will need to distance yourself from everything and everyone, cancel out everyone’s opinions and stop to listen to what God is saying. That separation from everything that distracts you, and takes away from what God is showing you is at times necessary. The only way to be able to discern what God expects of us in different situations is when we are close to Him. The closer we are, the clearer His voice is and the more we discern when He is speaking.

Seek for Gods direction in everything, and He will show you what you must do in every moment in your life. You’ll hear Him loud and clear. Until next time …

Wait in faith. Part 3

God sent the children of Israel to spy on the promised land, the land He said “He had already given to them.” Yet when they went to spy, and they found people more numerous than them and stronger… they panicked. Suddenly, God was no longer with them and they couldn’t make it.

When God sent them He knew that their enemies were bigger and stronger, yet He also knew that He was with the Israelite’s and they had nothing to fear. God didn’t tell them about the obstacles they would encounter there because it wasn’t relevant… He just told them to go!

Today its the same thing. God shows us the promise and expects us to just trust Him, to just believe. Obstacles, situations of all shapes and sizes will appear to even put us off but focused is what we must be.

An easy entry and journey was not promised by God to them, what was promised was the promised land that they would obtain it. Similarly, God didn’t promise me this journey would be easy, that obstacles and difficulties would not be met along the way. He didn’t promise a simple or conventional route, but what He did promise is the promise would be fulfilled.

For that reason we shouldn’t allow fear, allow confusion, problems or unanticipated situations to affect us or cause us to give up on our dreams. God is requiring that we trust Him, because the promise will become a reality if we remain in faith.

 

² “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” Numbers 13:2 NKJV 

“I’m still here!”

We are human.

Why am I starting my first post in months like this? Sometimes things don’t go to plan or how we would have expected them to go. We face battles, difficulties, shed our fair share of tears and just when we are about to cross the finish line desire to maybe just give up!

This happens when we focus more on what we’ve been through – the shame we’ve felt, the pain we’ve felt – rather than the simple fact that we’re still here, we’re still standing!

Yes, the last year has not been easy for me but one thing God is reminding me and you today, is okay maybe you may feel afraid, you faced a lot and don’t know what the future holds… but please even if it’s just for a second look in the mirror and smile and say “I’m still here!” Despite all you’ve been through and faced everyday you still wake up, you still push…. you’re still trying! And know God sees that!

 

God is the kind of person that when it seems like He’s not working… that’s when He’s working the most! Keep doing your part – all you can do and watch Him surprise you!

 

On that note, here’s the link to the song that inspired me and this blog post:

Through His eyes…

I have a purpose for your life. One so much greater than what you can currently perceive. It feels like you will never come out of this desert, you’re struggling to see past it… but do you want to know why outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens???

It’s because it is in the place you are least comfortable that you discover yourself. Your flaws, the good, the bad and the ugly.  You discover your insecurities and it is there that you find yourself at times at your weakest. But this is also the condition where I can work within you best, where I can build within you this spirit of a warrior. Where I can make you more and more like me in character and likeness. At this point in time you may feel weak, you might even wish that you could sleep for 5 years straight and you would wake up having accomplished everything …. but know that these pinacle moments in your faith are the ones that can make you. You are being broken …. but being broken to be rebuilt into something more beautiful than you could ever imagine.

I know it’s hard now, but now is not the time to walk around with your head down but overcome your emotions with FAITH! Faith that you will make it out of this so much stronger, faith that I am with you even when you don’t “feel” it. Seek more than ever before and you will find yourself soon enough as the beautiful butterfly you’ve always dreamed of. You’ll look back and wonder how you made it?? Remembering then all the difficulties you went through, and all the moments of exposure you faced. This my darling is what growth looks like 💕… remember ‘…… be sure of this, I am with you even to the end of the age.’

THINK! THINK! THINK!

The problem with so many Christians is that they just don’t think. They feel too much. Today they don’t feel saved or like they have the Holy Spirit so that must mean they are not or He is not in them. Today they don’t feel like God is with them so that must mean He possibly can’t exist. Today they don’t feel like they can hear God’s voice so they forget everything He has said. Today they feel weak as if all the strength is being drained out of them by their situation, so they remain dormant in their spiritual life…. resulting in self pity.

How many times have we not felt like studying or revising or even going to work yet we still go?? Why because we know what the outcome is. Last year I had to sit 24 exams, and by the time I got to the 24th (which was Physics… and I do not like physics at all!) I had 0 motivation to study. But why did I study? Because I knew the outcome of the results I wanted on results day. And this is the same with our spiritual lives.

Though we may not feel like it, feel strong or as if God is with us we press forward ignoring every feeling and emotion. Why? Because we know the outcome of our actions. Infact we must push even harder than before. Let’s feed our spirit even more in these moments, and choose to grow closer to God…. because when you’re on fire you don’t even notice that you’re bleeding from the battle, you just keep going.

I’m encouraging you all to THINK. When we THINK our FAITH can override ALL our emotions.

These Two Crossroads

These two crossroads stand before me: keep fighting or give up.

This is not the first time I have had to face these two crossroads. I have a choice, you have a choice. Something I’m learning is that belief in God is FAITH. “Ermmm, obviously Peniel.” You may be thinking but I don’t think you’ve really taken it in yet.

Belief in God is FAITH. This means it cannot rely on our senses. I’m learning as I’m facing different things that there are times we do not hear God or feel as if he his there beside us, but this is when our FAITH in God must kick in. We cannot rely on our senses, how we feel… This way we will never last. We will give up because trust me it’s in the toughest moments that we “feel” as if God is not there.

This is not the first time I have come across these crossroads, and I can assure you it will not be the last. But, because my relationship with God is not based on how I FEEL but FAITH… I can also assure you that each time I come across these crossroads I will choose to keep fighting.

“Hold on Peniel, hold on….”

I don’t know who you are, where you’re from, what you’re facing at this very moment or even when you will be reading this post – maybe hours, days, months or even years from now… but what I want to say to you is Hold On.

However tough it may seem or maybe your goals seem too ambitious… hold on. You may even feel as if God has forgotten you, everyone else is passing you by… hold on. I can say this to you because I know what it feels like to be so so so close, but not feeling like you have it in you for the last few pushes. The thought of giving up seems relaxing, no more battles no more worrying or stressing… WRONG! If you give up it will haunt you forever, If I give up it will haunt me forever.

I’m starting to learn how to trust in God in some of the ugliest moments in my life, when my faith isn’t on “cloud 9” and I’m literally battling myself because every thought in my head is telling me to just give up.

Its kind of like when you get married, your vows are “for better or for worse”. This is the same with God, when you give your life to God you become engaged, when you receive His Spirit you become married. And you make that promise, we make that promise that we will stick with Him through the good times and bad times. I don’t know about you but when I said that I meant it! Through thick and thin I’m sticking with Him. God sees our visions, dreams and plans because He also has them for us too… your time is coming, our time is coming whatever you are working towards I promise you it is on its way but there’s just one thing you need to do – Hold On.