God Knows Our Cry

As a mother, I've heard a lot of crying, I've come to know what they are and what they mean. I know when my child is hurt, unhappy, tired, frightened or needs a nappy change. This cry allows me as a parent to know something has disrupted my childs security and comfort in one way or another. My mother or husband my hear my son and because they are not always with him, they don't know him like I do and I continually have to explain to them what he is doing or why he is crying, that crying doesn't automatically mean he is upset for a reason they may believe it is, like he is tired when the infant is grumbling because he is hungry.

God really brought this to my attention in this way, that God really knows us as his child and He knows why were crying but as adults we are able to understand it fully and God encourages us to grow through it not just cry, but come out the other side. When people see us, they see what we want them to see, a mirage or mask over the true nature we may be feeling or suffering with, but God sees behind all of that, He knows your "hungry" cry from your "tired" cry, He knows how to recognise, differentiation and to really help in that situation. Though as adults we become less trusting as a child and we push away help, even Gods or sometimes we allow the wrong help in. 

In a society where fully understanding what a loving parent can physically look like and can be experienced in every home, our vision and full understanding of God as a loving father, too has become lost behind the haze of devastation and pain we see everyday and for some people it is an everyday reality they have faced. Growing up in a christian home, I knew religion before I knew God. I saw church buildings and glorified sinners who did more damage than good, who could recite the bible and talk at people and give terrible advice against the word of God. 

Amongst all of this, only God revealed His love and salvation in my life. They say a parents voice becomes a childs inner voice and for me this became very true, I would think very little of myself, most of the time hate myself which was expressed through how I viewed myself physically, emotionally and spiritually, eventually projecting how people treated me negatively upon God. Assuming this role upon him, that He would hate me, that I was whore for the way I dressed or I was just a woman so I really didn't mean anything. I was expected to cover everything I was in order to, what I thought I had to do, which was please people who were supposed to be trustworthy, but were really in it for control. I eventually felt and soon realised after that I was set up to have no real direction or future, that I had lost 'me' amongst it all trying my best to get people to just stop talking at me and telling me how I'm not good enough for them let alone God.

Yet somehow without my understand or acknowledgement at the time, His love along the way would fan the flames of my heart and strengthen and carry me through their useless hatred. It has taken me a long to to fully grasped that He replaces and silences all those voices in my life that once spoke negatively to me and about me, to His role as my loving father who speaks words of life and love over us and into us and His voice is now my inner voice. That I AM loved, I AM worthy, I AM forgiven, I AM a child of God. That I was no longer projecting the world onto God and his persona of who he "was" but now I was projecting God onto my world and into my life of who He actually IS. LOVE.

As a child of God, I cry small droplets to waves furiously crashing in the ocean from pain from hurts being released and layers being stripped away in my heart. God knows them all, but I realised as a child when we become so driven by our emotions we forget to listen to what our loving father has to say, giving us the guidance we really need. We can't forget to listen because He is there running to our aid but also telling us everything is in fact okay, we just tripped, got a little graze but we are in fact, OKAY. I have seen this a lot in christians, they cry very loud but never listen to the calm instruction of their father, like they've forgotten He is right there because is always with us even when we believe He isn't and cry a little louder. For all the parents who can relate, you'll understand what it means especially when its not about you and your routine anymore. 

The older we get the more capable we are of focussing and listening and we can understand when our parent says we are indeed fine and to have another go at life and that we will. This builds our character, confidence, strength as individuals and resilience against what is worth crying over and not, it's as the saying goes, 'dont cry over spilt milk'. God does this with us, He encourages us to grow spiritually, to become spiritually mature so that when the storms of life come, because he knows they are, we will not cower we will prepare, when we spill our milk by accident, we will not cry but will clean it up and simply get another glass. Do not forget to grow in every way; mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually with the help of God.

I really want to encourage you today, no matter what your circumstance, your current situation that seems all to real, it is an impermanent position, that God is continually  moving forward and so are we, that He leads and guides us in the right direction, that God hears our cries but dont forget to know His voice and listen because He will respond. But, do not forget to do your part, to listen, to follow, to obey. Do not be a fool that follows foolish people who in fact don't know what tomorrow brings or what harm lies around the corner. Trust God, trust His voice that He will not lead you away from good things but into good things. Don't be afraid of what He is going to say because He is love and his love is directed towards you and for you.

When words fail and music speaks, this ones for you.

The Power Of Death and Life Are Held In The Tongue

Proverbs 18:20 - 21 is a powerful but simple verse but teaches us about how to powerful our words really are and the power it holds. If you have ever had an argument with someone and words started getting nasty, you understand what it means to be either on the receiving end or possibly the one causing hurt. 

From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

James 3 also teaches us about the how the tongue can be like a bit in a horses mouth or a rudder for a large ship, though it may be small it can steer our whole being, that being mental, emotional and physical, a certain way whether it is the truth or not. We speak every day words that are seeds of life being planted to grow from the root, watered by emotion and brought to fruition with our mindsets. We need to change how we talk, from negative to positive, from life to death. Even science has proven words have life, they vibrate into the surrounding atmosphere. I just want to encourage you all to remember our God, our identity and the truth. So next time you go to say "I can't" stop and think, God didn't make us to be so sheepish but brave, capable and blessed us with gifts. You can change your course and you can live a fruitful existence all by changing how we speak and believing it. Speak life into your life then BELIEVE IT and LIVE IT.

Speaking control or fear over someones life is not pleasing to God, you pray to him for things to bless you, don't speak curses over others. He is not ok with this. SO DON'T DO IT.  I urge you all, speak life, speak love and speak into a situation to cause a positive reaction. Our world needs more love and patience and less attack and destruction. We can all sort our differences out without the use of harsh words.

For those who do not know God or do not wish to acknowledge His existence, I encourage that you do take away this: that words are life and you can change your circumstances and mindsets and control your emotions with positive words. Thinking before you speak is so crucial and a lot of relationships breakdown due to a lack of communication, broken trust and hurtful words (I should know). Understand that your emotions are natural but you hold the power in your tongue to end an argument, to silence a chance for hurtful words, to control a negative situation into a positive one and overtime, people will see this, the walls come down and lines for communication, love and real connection open. 

"The path to hell is paved with good intentions."

I never really understood this saying, until recently. I was listening to John Ramirez, share his experiences regarding, halloween, the ice bucket challenge and charities. For those who aren't familiar with John, he was a former satanist, who gave his life to God and has been sharing his testimony like wild fire all over youtube and safe to the world.

He was sharing about as a satanist what practices they would have during halloween, and had some great questions when it came to the church who would involve themselves in what may seem like harmless fun, which in reality isn't. He address the ice bucket challenge and made aware how people believe they are doing it to raise money for a charity, which he has no problem with helping others, but the reality behind that practice and its relations to voodoo. The last point he came to was about involvement in charities and specifically when it comes to christians who are constantly trying to be seen doing things in the name of God and for God.

He made a very simple point, those things we considered good, but they weren't Godly. Now God is not against helping others, that is in His word to reach out and to love. There is healing in the name of Jesus, but as he described going out on the street and sharing then coming home and talking to God about it and God being honest and saying I was never in that, that is a little more humble pie for the eager evangelist.

To elaborate and share a little more personally, as a child, I absolutely hated church and pastors and everything to do with it, I remember having fights with my mother especially about having to go. It was made a big deal of and that I disagreed that God was in the sanctity or holiness of a building, filled with (again in my opinion) false people and liars. At a young age, I already knew what religion was, I saw it constantly, I realised the two sides and always was shown the truth of who they were and what was really happening within certain groups. I knew and still hold onto, God is not in church, he is out there and he is in me and how we treat each other. Are we really honouring God and listening to Him or are we just following a religious reign. Do we really know Him? I believe He cannot be found amongst them, but in the love we receive and give.

God also brought to my attention Matthew 7 verse 21 - 23 which addresses True and False Disciples

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"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

This really confirmed for me what I had know for a long time and had been made to feel like I was wrong over. There are many things in this world, spiritual and physical, that will present itself to you in a way that seems so promising and beautiful, but once you're in, you see after time who people really are and what is really happening behind closed doors.

Jesus said in John 14 verse 6 , 'I am the way, the truth and the Life, no one gets to the Father except through me.' So no one or thing can offer you salvation except Christ and hey I would rather put my trust in him, than in some of the human nature around here. So don't fall for any hype or be so desperate to trust a human for your source of healing and guidance, trust God, to talk to those who really know Him, to be Him in your life, in this world and so you can heal, be free from reigns and be like Jesus.

Here is the link to the video, it is quite long, so if you get some downtime it is well worth the listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRP6r59_46Y

I really just wanted to share this all with you, it was really encouraging and I don't want any else who feels forced to do things, to continue doing those things that just don't feel right. Whether it is in a relationship, in a religious organisation or be told by anyone you HAVE to do something you know isn't right especially by you and that would cause you to lose something. John 10 verse 10, 'Thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.' 

Tomorrow is another day and with Gods help we can make this world a better place.