Dear Reader,

I don’t know your opinion regarding dreams, but I have learned that many dreams are simply a result of a puzzling situation working in my mind or the book I was reading before I went to bed (so read your bible).  Some dreams are meant to give a bit of wisdom for the next steps in life. I’ve had these dreams offering wisdom a few times over the years and when I didn’t pay attention, I almost always wish I had.

Last night or maybe it was this morning I had a dream regarding being prepared. In the dream, if I had known ahead of time to have my bags packed the night before, I would have gone much further in the mission of the trip of which I was dreaming. But I wasn’t and therefore I didn’t have what I needed and had to scramble to make do with what was available.

As I was later contemplating the dream, a song I learned in worship one evening came to mind. These are the words (additions in parenthesis are my addition):

This is a proclamation (announcement)

A mighty declaration (testimony)

Transforming reformation (changing, reorganizing)

Renewing of our minds (Ps 51:10; 104:30)

Get ready, get ready, get ready,

Don’t you know who you are? (Identity in Him, Romans 8)

Get ready, get ready, get ready

We are the sons of God (John 1:12)

If you don’t

Align yourself properly (Phil 1:27)

You’ll never hear

The words get ready (2 Tim 2:15; Heb 4:12, Eph 2:10)

This is the time,

We are gonna draw the line (Isa 50:7),

To hear the words

Get set and go!

If we don’t know the identity of Who created us, or our identity in Him, how can we possibly be diligent in our commitment to our place in Him (align ourselves properly)? If we are unaware that God even puts into His creation all that is needed to respond to His leading, how will we be able to hear clearly when it is time to move into what He has prepared in advance for us to do for the Kingdom?

Identity is not a vocation, although it could lead to a vocation. Our identity is the spiritual assurance or conviction that we are His and it is what He thinks of us that matters. Identity is owning our place in Him and the purpose to which He has called us toward; that which he has prepared in advance for us to accomplish. Because of God we exist In Christ we have our being (1 Cor 8:6), and He holds us together (Col 1:17), it is the Holy Spirit that instructs, corrects and comforts (John 14) as we move through life realigning our thoughts and behaviors according to the Character of Christ made available to those who believe (2 Cor 10:5).  

Lately, I have been blessed with the sure knowledge that God my Father through the Holy Spirit, defends those in Him from the sinful plots and behavior of others. I don’t know why this is becoming so prominent in my thoughts unless there is some type of sabotage afoot somewhere (personally or corporately). I do not know for sure this is so, but the assurance that God who sees all and knows all provides the faith that deflects any arrows of any kind sent my way, is enough for me and sets my heart at rest.

My identity, and the One in Whom I trust, keeps me steadfast.

If I were seeking my identity in people or things, then I would do all I could to remain in the good graces of people. I would strive to have the right friends and cultivate the most prosperous relationships deemed to promote my position or influence. I would wave my personal banners of achievements and point the faults of others so that I may build my own bandwagon of support and validation.

Just thinking about doing all this is exhausting. This is not the rest promised in Hebrews 4. Yet there are people who live like this because they know no other way! We know them. We can share the better way. Jesus is the better way.  Unfortunately, not everyone heeds the call for reformation of their minds. They are too set on being “right/correct” and relying on their phobias and past experiences to find identity.

Too harsh? Maybe. But I’ve been close to that place in the past. It is horrible. I’m glad to have found the better way.

This may be a bit of a tangent here from the song above, but isn’t that the trap? When we are looking for significance in people and achievement, we blind ourselves to Christ and the abundant life He promises. And it is that striving that distracts from the rest promised in Him.

 It follows that when distracted or filled with unbelief, it is almost impossible to be properly prepared to go when God says GO.

Like in the dream I mentioned earlier, being unprepared for the journey or the assignment leaves us scrambling to make up for lost time and we cannot fully engage in the mission before us. God gives plenty of notice when change is coming if we have the ear to hear. He gives strategy to prepare if it is needed if we know His voice and we apply the wisdom. He has put the ability in us to complete the assignments; therefore, insecurity is not an option if He calls us forward toward something.  Always, like the Apostles before us, we must also do our part and engage His Faith in us for those leaps that appear risky. We must step into the assignments with boldness and confidence.

The number one thing I had to learn was how to trust in the faithfulness of God. There is no formula. It is a focus on Him while making the decision with courage to move when instructed in spite of...

… feelings

…what others MIGHT say or think

…knowing the outcome ahead of time

…not having a plan B to fall back on

… past failed attempts

…forgetting something I thought was important.

In the past I would get so nervous about speaking in front of people. I was afraid I’d misspeak or forget something important. So, I would write it down and rely on my notes to guide me. This was a mistake for me. I have discovered I cannot always hear God when I am anxious about following my notes (for example).

So, now that I have learned to trust in His faithfulness, I may write things down, but I usually forget about it when I am led to speak before a group. Typically, I only know the first 3 words of what God wants me to say; I laugh thinking about it because I am realizing that maybe He only gives me three words because that is about the max I can remember in the moment and I’m least likely to tamper with trying to make them “better.”

For the rest of the message, I have to trust that the words will follow as I listen to His voice and only say what I hear Him say. An amazing thing that happens as I am obedient. I don’t worry that I’m going to forget anything. How can you forget three words?  

It is also amazing to me when revelations are drawn from that which I have studied (may part). These revelations are at times used by Him to complete the message for the moment. What if I had not done my part and studied? When the “faucet” of His voice in me turns off, and I do not hear any more of what to say from Him, I stop speaking.

At least I will try to stop.

Some will know what I mean and possibly agree that there are times when following after Christ is a bit like running downhill. It takes a minute at the bottom of the hill for the momentum to let go and actually STOP. LOL.

The prayer then is that I add nothing to the moment that God cannot use and that anything that distorts the message in any way is forgotten.

So, today’s blog post is to encourage. We don’t have to know all the answers, nor do we need to have some outline memorized for an elevator speech (30 sec) about Jesus. However, we do need to do our part to obediently respond to Christ in the moment. It is important to spend time with the Holy Spirit and learn to hear His voice so we can be ready (steadfast) to go when we are called and say what we hear Him saying in the moment for the moment.

Grace and Peace,

Anne

**verse references provided for your own study