Open Letter Please Draw Me!

Abbi You've given me the privilege of prayer. The ability to write. The mandate to raise others up. You call and equip and strip off all that would cause men to see me rather than you. Yet I struggle to do these things. Passion burns yet I lag. Ideas come, yet I hesitate.

How long will I halt between two opinions? Yours which tells me I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me, and my enemy which whispers to me, "Who do you think you are? What do you think you have to give? What makes you think, anybody wants to hear from you?" The words seep in insidiously, but Your Word rings louder with the mandate to GO! The oily accusations stifle my creativity and stun my sense of connectedness.

But that can only last momentarily. For you O Lord are my Shield and Defense. You alone have the right to interrogate me, and instead you encourage me to step out on the water! Instead you draw me to the fire to purify and strengthen me. Instead you pour cool water over me, reviving me and refreshing me. I am undone by Your gentleness. I am in awe of Your greatness. I am indebted for Your kindness. I am set free by Your sacrifice. O Lord. Have your way in me, through me and with me. May my life be spent for You. May I be a drink offering poured out upon others, in Your Presence. May I Lavish You with Love all the days of my life.

Thank you for the mandate. Thank you for the passion. Thank you for the ability. Most of all thank you for You. Your Presence makes all the difference, every day. Teach me how to stay in Your Presence. Oh I have been there, but teach me how to stay there. How to go deeper. How to move past the plateau of yesterday, into the revelation of Today. Take me deeper into You.

I say along with the maiden in Song of Solomon: Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. Song 1:4

I love thee. I long for more of thee. Draw me. Even as Peter said, "Lord if it is you Bid me come" and even as Jesus said, "No man comes to the Father except by me" and again "no man can come to Me except the Father which sent me draw him..." So Lord draw me and I will come.

Like A Hammer

Your Word O Lord is like a Hammer
well timed, well aimed, precise in measure
Released with anointing and ease
Seemingly at your leisure

You strike a blow for victory
Your Word so very Active
You strike a blow for defeat
of all that would hold me captive

You chip away around the edges
with glancing blows ringing
sparks are lifting off a flying
while the enemy is cringing

Oh Holy Word of God
come and have Your way
Seed yourself inside of me
Till only Your Will has perfect sway

You are relentless
in Your pursuit of me
till your likeness
all shall see

Your Word Paints a
picture bold and strong
Bringing Life and Light
and Victory's song

Long may Your Word
a Holy habitation be
A refuge, a comfort
where in I meet with Thee.

NEM

© 2009

Grace, Is it Sufficient?

I don't know about you, but I struggle sometimes. I struggle to get past myself. To shed flesh and flow fully in the spirit. I know others who struggle too. Struggle with hang ups and put downs and weaknesses of the human kind. Their hearts yearn to be great Christians, but their failings tell them they are not. The enemy whispers they are failures, consigned to always failing. He says they are phonies, only pretending. I wonder if Peter felt that way sometimes? Of John, the son of Thunder? I have hope that if the Son of Thunder can be transformed into the Apostle of Love, then surely there is hope for me!

I read what Paul wrote in Romans...how he struggled to do what he knew he should, but then didn't. And vice versa. I wonder, did Paul fly off the handle? Was he sharp tongued, or critical? Or did he always seem to put his foot into his mouth? Or was he viewed as being a bossy know it all?

Yet, for all his struggles, whatever they were, all the assaults of the enemy against him, the weight and care of the Churches upon him, when he went to Jesus, Jesus comforted him saying, "My Grace is sufficient for thee." Really? Grace? That is all? He didn't say, "My Blood, my sacrifice, my armour", but HE said, "My Grace." How powerful Grace must be, and how misunderstood and under utilized!

What is His Grace? Yes, it is unmerited favor to the sinner. But what is it to the saint?
Apostle Bobbie Jean Merck did a word study on this. Here then is her Holy Ghost definition:
"Grace: God's Ability. God's Efficiency. God's Proficiency. God's Power. God's Strength. God's Help In, Upon, With and Through ME!"

God is so good! Another meaning of Grace is Favour, graciousness and liberality. God is saying, My Favour is sufficient. Indeed, His favour surrounds us like a shield. His favour goes before us. His favour changes people's heart's and minds. It causes them to be gracious and liberal when they may have wanted to be stingy! Favour brings about promotion and benefit! Favour causees rules and laws to be changed.

2Cor. 12:9 But His answer was: My grace is all you need; power comes to its full strength in weakness-NEB
More than ever, then, I delight to boast of the weaknesses that humiliate me, so that the strength of Christ may enshrine itself in me. -Knox

Oh, so instead of letting my weaknesses confound and trip me up and cause me to shrink in and flounder, I should cast my care and my weaknesses on Christ who cares for me and gave Himself for me and Who gives Me his Grace to persevere.

So I beg to ask again, "Is Grace sufficient?" When it is His Grace, then the answer must be "Yes! His Grace is sufficient." So then, how do we appropriate this Grace? What does Eph. 2:8 tel us? "Yes, it was grace that saved you, with faith for its instrument." -Knox "It is not by your own action." - Goodspeed

Hebrews tells us this: Heb 4:16 (AMP) Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

J.B. Rotherham translated it thus: "Let us then be approaching with freedom of speech unto the throne of favour..."

We access this Grace and favor by Faith, same as we received Salvation. Mark 11:24 in the MEssage Bible says: "That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything."

Jesus said, "MY Grace is sufficient for thee." Sufficient means to ward off, to avail, to be possessed of unfailing strength, to defend, to ward off. To be satisfied, to be contented.

His Grace avails for us. It defends and wards us. It satisfies us. To be possessed by Christ! Have we allowed Him to possess us? If we have, then His Grace fills us and posseses us and gives us unfailing strength.

Ahh, now we can begin to grasp the scripture in Philippians: "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me." Paul had made the transistion! We can too. His Grace IS sufficient. Shalom!