Tag Archives: Holy Ghost

While in Winter…

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As I mentioned last week, I have found myself in the Winter season, and the Lord has continued to clear my calendar, one client at a time.  At this point, since I have been at this place before, I was even more convinced that the Lord was freeing up my time for a specific reason and it was not so that I can play Words with Friends.  I believed that I had completed all the planning as the Holy Spirit had instructed and I was ready, so I thought.  Well, I asked the Lord,” what shall I be doing?”  Let me pause here to say that when you ask the Lord a question, His answer will not be what you are expecting, at all!

Anyway, the Holy Spirit presented me with two messages, very similar in nature to provide my answer.  First, I needed to realize the magnitude of the harvest and second, was I truly prepared mentally for what was ahead. This caused me to take a LONG pause.  Oftentimes, we think that we are so ready for our blessing, but are we really!

Although Winter is a time for rest, which means a time of “peace, ease or refreshment’, we must also understand the biblical definition of entering God’s Rest! Biblical rest is not only something we do for our body, soul, and spirit, but a form of worship, when we completely trust the sovereignty of God and lean into His Holy Spirit even amid the craziest situations.  Therefore, we must enter His Rest and be content. 

Then we must be prepared to step into a season that looks too big for us to handle and understand that we were created for this.  Our assignments are meant to make us uncomfortable. Our vision must be big enough to demand a bigger, better version of ourselves. With this in mind, we must:

1) REIMAGINE our vision.

2) REFINE our goals.

3) REENERGIZE our plans.

The vision that the Lord has given me is for 100’s of women to come, in seed form and be transformed into what God has created them to be.  God has designed and assigned me to be the one who can reach them.  While in Winter, our work doesn’t end.  We must focus on what we need to do to be mentally and skillfully prepared to accomplish our vision and for me this was a wake-up call.

We are quickly approaching Spring as we are waiting for the ground to thaw and soon it will be time to put the seeds in the ground.  Just like the farmer, I decided that there were projects around the house that I have continued to put off, so I got out my swisher and got to work. But you must understand that I really dislike dusting.  But now I can already feel a shift in my mood.  I can sense the vibration of an abundance of rain.  Most do not understand all the work that goes into harvest.  We often talk, wish, and pray for the harvest, but what about once it comes. 

Let’s look at an analogy of getting a new house.  The Lord will show us the vision of our new house.  It’s big and beautiful, but there is no way that we can afford that house.  We look at all the obstacles, and they are many, but the Lord says yes.  Therefore, we cannot ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit, no matter how small. He just continues to blow our mind.  Our faith walk begins and when we look back, the journey makes no sense.  Once we are blessed, we must tell others what the Lord has done.  Ultimately, reaping the harvest is for us to be fruitful, to be a witness to His glory and His Favor on us is to bless others. 

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

So, my question to you is, how big is your vision and what season are you in?

In Due Season…

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Copyright: hannamariah

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Last week, we left off with Galatians 6:9 KJV, which says; And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not, and we will come back to it a little later.  In the meantime, you may not have realized it, but we have five (5) seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, and DUE season.  The Holy Spirit has been rather persistent with this message of Seed, Time, and Harvest, so I’d suggest that we listen very carefully as we look at the seasons through the eyes of a farmer. 

Winter, which is from early December to late February, is a time for rest! However, the work doesn’t end.  Now the farmers have time to fix machinery or other projects on the farm and prepare for the next planting season.  It’s February, so what season are you in?

As Spring begins, we are waiting for the ground to thaw out, and we want to make sure there will not be another frost.  Then from late March to late June is the time to put the crops in the ground.   Our time to plant and sow the seeds is right around the corner. 

Summer, which is July to early September, can make or break for most farmers. Rain is critical in these months but not too much! Too much rain can damage crops, but not enough rain can also damage crops. The perfect amount of rain, sunlight, and heat produces the best crops!

He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful.  

Isaiah 30:23a NLT

In the Fall of the year, late September to early December is the time where farmers get to see the reward of the growing season. Harvest starts in mid-September, and most do not understand all the work that goes into harvest.

While farmers celebrate the harvest season just once a year, we experience the spirit of harvest all the time.  Throughout the Bible, harvest symbolizes God’s provision, His protection, and His prosperity for us in Due Season, our 5th season.

If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 

Leviticus 26:3-4 KJV

As I was preparing for this blog post, as always, the Holy Spirit helped me to put the season that I’m in into perspective and I hope that it will do the same for you.  My season cycle began last spring, when the Lord planted a seed of expectation in my spirit that He was expanding the territory of Order Your Steps.  I won’t rehash the story, but I must tell you that I’ve gone through Summer and Fall, but I have not hit my Due Season.  Instead, I have found myself in the winter season and the Lord has me at rest, which I must admit is a tad uncomfortable.  I’ve done a lot of prep work for what’s ahead and I will continue to do so, but then what?   

As an entrepreneur, at times, I often find myself in a place of uncertainty, which is where I am now.  However, I’m learning to trust my periods of uncertainty because they deepen my faith.  Nothing can make us second guess ourselves more than when we implement something that we know God has told us to do, but it doesn’t quite work the way we planned.  I’ve heard it said that a delay, in not a denial, but have I tried to put the Lord on a deadline, based on my plans, not His.  VERY bad idea… So, as I laid in the bed the other morning, wondering about what He has in store for me, the Holy Spirit said very clearly, In Due Season! 

The Lord has given me a dream, so I’ve stepped out of the boat, like Peter. Although I’m still not certain if I’ll be able to walk on water, I must have the commitment and courage to take the next step and keep walking.  As we pursue our purpose, success, and greatness, we realize that it all will happen in His Divine Timing.  Therefore, we must not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap [the harvest], if we don’t give up. 

Un-Clutter Your Mind

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We’re already 30 days into a new year and I’m very concerned that we are already consumed by the mental chaos of busy and out of our divine rhythm.  A stream of clutter is slowly turning our mental space into a chaotic mess.  Our minds, soul, and space are cluttered with unnecessary things and people that may be slowing us down.  Remember, I said that this year, we are being pushed even harder into our purpose and there is no time to waste.  We may be very busy but are we accomplishing the things that really matter to us the most.  Those things that will empower and motivate us to be the very best that we can be. 

Our lives should not be hustle and grind, but we must ebb and flow with the Spirit.  Prioritizing those things that are important is a great way to proactively take charge of your life.  It may sound redundant, but have we taken a serious look at where we are, where we are going, and thought of ways that we might get there.  A famous American poet Bill Copeland had rightly said, “the trouble with not having a goal is that we can spend our life running up and down the field and never score.”  We must be more mindful of our time, and have the courage to say no to the things that we would consider unimportant or unfruitful. 

In the last two (2) blog posts, we talked a lot about Seed, Time, and Harvest.  We want to plant seeds that will produce a bountiful, fruitful harvest.  Therefore, it is crucial that we unclutter our mind of all the non-essential mental baggage for us to stay focused, motivated, and productive for the rest of this year and years to come.  So, we are going to pause, take a deep breath, get out our journal and take some notes on what I’ve shared with you over the past few months. BTW, if you’ve listened to my podcast, this will be a review, but you will still need to take notes.

Let me begin by saying that we know that every year is a year of God’s favor.  Dr. Dharius Daniels defines God’s Favor as undeserved, unexplainable, irrational, preferential treatment. His Favor puts us in the right place at the right time according to His plan for us.  Therefore, if we have not earnestly given any thought to what His plan might be for us, then 2023 will most likely be no different than all the other years.  I will continue to emphasize the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit and being guided and directed by Him every day, all day and He will tell us and show us how to Live Our Best Live Ever! We must let go of our yesterday, make the most of our today, and trust the Lord with our tomorrow.

We are being pushed out of our comfort zone and beyond what we may consider our inadequacies and our limitations.  I believe that the Lord has given us a vision, dream, idea, and clarity of mind to accomplish what He’s given us, but we now must have the commitment and courage to take the next step and move forward.  As we pursue our purpose, success, and greatness, we realize that it all will happen in His Divine Timing.  He will give us what we need, not necessarily what we want, exactly when we need it.  It’s been said that “Success is never final; failure is never fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts,” [especially when the journey gets tough, and the mountains are high]. The Lord has given us ‘hinds’ feet’, the ability to overcome difficult challenges successfully.  Stumbling blocks are not going to slow us down and the mountains that we must climb will not stop us.  

In all of this, for us to accomplish what’s ahead we must set our Un-Cluttered Mind on the things above! We must keep sowing/planting good seed and the Lord will send us rain for the seed we sow in the ground, and let us not be weary, while we are working diligently and waiting for the rain, for at just the right time, we shall reap A bountiful harvest and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful… if we don’t give up.

The year has just begun, and it is much too soon to allow our mind to become cluttered with thoughts of discontent and defeat.  There are endless possibilities ahead, but we must unclutter our mind, soul, and space; and establish an atmosphere of peace, harmony, and grace, so that we will hear and know His voice, even when we can’t see Him. 

Seed, Time, and Harvest – Part II

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Last week, we started our discussion on Seed, Time, and Harvest.  In Genesis 8:22a, it says, As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest…and the Holy Spirit showed us how the process of farming can be applied to our lives today. 

The Lord prepares the soil for the seed, that’s you and me, to be planted.  Over time, He feeds the soil, and He may have to pull up a few weeds, as He clears the path for where we are going.  Then we must be confident that He has put everything that we need into the seed and thus, our seed is sowed in faith.  But if we continually keep our eyes fixed on negative conditions, we will fail to sow or will lose faith in our seed. 

Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest. –

Proverbs 20:4

We must then be diligent as we wait.  It’s our responsibility to do the work no matter what the results because the Lord will reward us for our efforts and the quality of our work.  Remember, we will get out what we put in.  The Holy Spirit will give us guidance along the path, but without all the details.  However, we must not stop growing, while we wait for further instructions. The Lord will send others to provide the water for us to grow;

He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful.  

Isaiah 30:23a

The Lord provides a bountiful harvest, the reward for our labor. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

So, don’t give up before the harvest!  To be honest, when the Lord gives us something to do, we cannot give up until the Lord says we can… and I really don’t believe that that’s gonna happen!

Seed, Time, and Harvest – Part I

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Copyright: leonidtit

I had been super excited after last week’s blog, We are Being PUSHED!… and I still am, but by Saturday morning as I thought more about my own purpose, I felt that I’d hit a wall. I woke up a tad discouraged and to top it all off, the Holy Spirit hadn’t given me the download for my blog post for this week.

 I decided to go to a happier place and reflect on last week’s episode.  As you may remember, I believe that we are going to be PUSHED into our Purpose, like never before this year.  We must be ready to use what the Lord’s already given us.  We are enough, which is why He chose us.  We must listen for His guidance without all the details, but keep moving, while we wait for further instructions.  We can no longer wait for the Lord to do what He has given us the ability to do.

So, as I was lying in bed, anxiously awaiting to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, He reminded me that I had posted this scripture earlier in the week. 

The message is that there will never be the perfect time to take our next step.  But then I heard, in my spirit, SEED, TIME, AND HARVEST, thus my topic for this week, part I.  Farming analogies are used throughout the Bible, so I started my search, which began at Genesis…

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. – Genesis 8:22 KJV

22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” Genesis 8:22 NLT

I realize that this may appear somewhat unusual, but remember, we are dealing with the Holy Spirit, who pushes us outside of our norm.  So, just stick with me as we look at the first few steps of the farming process, with some accompanying scriptures.  We have:

  • Prepare the Soil
  • Sow/Plant the Seed
  • Feed the Soil
  • Water

The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. … The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom. 

Isaiah 28:26, 29

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both. 

Ecclesiastes 11:6

The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 

1 Corinthians 3:8

For this to make sense, we must put ourselves into the place of a farmer, and remember that farming is very hard work, extremely labor intensive.  As we are pushed into our purpose, what are the things that we must gleam from these scriptures.

  1. The Lord has prepared the soil. He has given us understanding and He is a wonderful teacher and has given us has taught us great wisdom for the task at hand and for the journey ahead.
  2. Plant the seed early in the morning and work all afternoon.  Let the success of the task rest in the hand of the Lord, but we must get the task done. 
  3. Don’t try to work alone and do it all, some will plant, and others will water.  We are working hard to achieve a great harvest.  It’s our responsibility to do the work no matter what the results because the Lord will reward us for our efforts and the quality of our work. 

Next week, we are going to talk more about harvest.  We must first have faith in our seed and if we sow our seeds in faith, we KNOW that the Lord will provide the increase and we will reap a great harvest.  So, Stay Tuned!

Remember, Our Steps are Ordered…

The Waiting is Worth It…

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Early last week, I was listening to a message about Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1. I won’t go into the whole story, but the essence of the story for me was the fact that the Lord waited until Elizabeth was 60’something before He blessed her with a child.  I’m sure that it was not a coincidence about her age; since I’m 60’something too.  However, my message today applies to all ages.  I want everyone to know that “The Waiting is Worth It”.  There’s absolutely no benefit in rushing the Lord’s process.  No matter the length of time that we must wait, He is teaching us to be patient while He continues to perfect us, grow us, and mature us.  So, as we pursue our purpose, success, and greatness, we realize that it ALL will happen in His Divine Timing.  He will give us what we need, not necessarily what we want, exactly when we need it. 

The Scriptures say:

15 The eyes of all look to you in hope;
    you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand,
    you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

Psalm 145:15-16 NLT

Unfortunately, if we’re honest, we tend to compare, so we may wonder “Why did I have to wait until I was 40 to get married and she got married at 25″, or “I’m 60 and I’m still waiting to get what the Lord has for me”.  As I’ve said, more than once over the past few years, I am living my best life; I know that I am truly living on purpose.  The Lord said to me, “Now you understand why you had to wait, because I had to know that I could trust you”.  Yes, the Waiting is Worth it!  It doesn’t matter what you are waiting for, the Lord needs to know that you can handle it, that means spouse, new career, new house, new business, money, fame, influence, etc. 

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

1 Peter 5:6a

The icing on the cake for me was when I got to my first appointment early last week.  I was talking to my client, who by the way is my age.  The Lord has just escalated her to an executive position with everything that she’d ever wanted.  The Lord has so much more for us, we just need to get out of His way.  You may have to trust me on this one, but no matter what you’re waiting for, the Waiting is Worth It!

Now, on the other hand, have you ever gotten something that you would have rather not have, because you were impatient?  I know I have and in almost all cases, you cannot give it back.  There are just some things that we don’t want from the Lord until we’re ready.  In the meantime, we must stay on track and allow the Lord to order our steps, because there is greatness ahead of us.  We must keep sowing, even when we don’t see the harvest…

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season [at just the right time] we shall reap, if we faint not.

But remember, our work doesn’t stop while we are waiting. 

7 Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7

We must understand that although we are anointed for the task at hand, we must continue to perfect our skills, if we want to be great.  I am by no means promoting conceit, but we can no longer just settle for good…

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

NOT TODAY!

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This week may be a week of NOT TODAY!! The phrase “NOT Today” must be written in bold letters, in All caps, and with several exclamation marks. But, the preferred method is spoken with the voice of righteous indignation. Some of may have encountered a few of those days already, maybe last week or even the week before.  However, this is very interesting, considering that this week we will probably be spending time with friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday. For some this may be the first in-person holiday that we’ve had in a very long time. 

Now, normally I would advise people against giving the enemy too much credit, especially when they run into a tough situation or unforeseen circumstance.  Believe it or not, there are times when the Lord is a source of our frustration because he’s stretching us outside our comfort zone. He knows that we grow stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually when we are met with resistance and opposition.  But there are other times when we must tell the enemy NOT TODAY!  We will not entertain one taunt, threat, distraction, discouragement, or setback.

The Bible says that, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue[even our own tongue] that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn”. 

The New Living Translation says it this way, “But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Isaiah 54:17

We must remember that although spiritual warfare is real, our enemy is not people.  So, I would suggest that we pray for all of those that may cross our path this week. 

Take a moment to be still, be slow to speak and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying…

Stay Connected…

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God Forbid! But have you ever lost your phone?  In that moment, did it feel like maybe the world had stopped?  Isn’t it interesting that for some, even if we were able to borrow a phone to make a call, we don’t have family phones numbers committed to memory, which may I suggest that you might want to write them down somewhere, just in case!  But, luckily, in today’s world of technology, our phone carriers can ship us another phone overnight and, in most cases, recreate all our contacts and recover our pics.

Well, as we consider just how devasting the thought of losing our phone would be, what happens when we find ourselves disconnected from the Holy Spirit? I would like us to consider that although the Holy Spirit dwells within us, it is possible to lose our connection.  I would venture to guess that we almost always know where our phones are, so that we can stay connected to the outside world.  So, how does this apply to staying connected in our world within?

The Holy Spirit keeps taking me back to the wilderness story and as you may remember, just like in that story, the Lord may be taking us the long way around because we’re just not ready to go to short route. So, it is critical that we stay connected, because we simply don’t have all the details needed to make the trip!  No matter how much God talks to us, there are certain things that He is going to leave out.  There are things we just can’t take right now… And HE knows it. So, how often do we grow impatient and just hang up in the middle of the conversation?  Although we may be saying, God why is this taking so long, He is saying we are still not ready.  We may think that we are ready, but we are not.

As I mentioned last week, I still don’t have the answer to whether I should go back to my church, or bigger yet, I still don’t have a clear picture of where the Lord is taking me. I know that I’m headed in the right direction, however, I don’t have His final answer.  It seems like a reasonable and simple request, especially regarding the church, but I must realize that I may not be ready for what lies ahead and until I’m ready, it’s just going to take time.  If He would allow me to take the short route and go by way of the Philistine country, I could get beat up and I might want to go back the way I came; back to my old ways, back to Egypt.

As the Lord perfects and matures us, we grow stronger in our faith, we become more prepared for battle and we are more sensitive to His Spirit, His direction, and decisions because easier, while we are waiting for His answers.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

Philippians 1:6

Let’s take another look at that vital organ that we talked about early, you know the one I mean, the one that keeps us functioning daily, our phones!  We have access to everything we need at our fingertips.  But on the other hand, when we find that we can’t breathe without it, possibly we have become too reliant on it.  We need the Holy Spirit to be our lifeline, the one that if we lose the connection, we can’t breathe without Him.  He is the one that will lead and guide us along the path that the Lord has laid for us.  Our phones are simply a tool that if used properly can help us to be productive, but if we lost it, we would still survive…

It’s imperative that we ALWAYS take a quiet moment to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying…

Do Not Grow Weary in the Wilderness

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As it is most times, I was lying in bed early one Friday morning, even before I had finished last week’s blog post and I was wondering how long Holy Ghost Downloads blog would last.  I must admit that I tend to grow tired of ideas and to be honest, especially when they don’t get the response that I expect, but we’ve talked about that before.  So, pray for me… But then, I began to say, in my mind, I’m beginning to become weary, the Holy Spirit said very clearly, “Do not become weary in welldoing”, thus this week’s blog post, “Do Not Grow Weary in the Wilderness!” 

So, what are you saying to yourself?  What decisions are you making in your mind?  What are others saying about what you should do? Are you in a place of uncertainty?  Are you growing weary in your efforts to keep moving?  As we said last week, you may be in the wilderness.  Unfortunately, it is in these times, that we may seek the advice of others and yes, it is possible to get ungodly counsel from godly people. So, we must know what advice to listen to. Many times, our advancement, our ability to move is determined by the advice we don’t take.  If you are like me, your thoughts will wear you out, especially when you’re in the wilderness. 

For the children of Israel, the wilderness was the place between Egypt, the place of slavery, and the Promised Land.  ** So, listen very carefully, there is someone, including myself, that needs to hear that the Lord has delivered us from our own place of bondage, the prison of our mind and although the wilderness may feel like a place of stagnation, maybe even boring and non-productive, it’s a place of the Lord’s provision and protection until we are ready for where He needs us to go, to the place that He has promised us. 

Recently I read a quote from Laynie Travis that says, “The Lord does not call qualified people; He qualifies those that He calls”.  It is for that reason that He does not expect us to have our act together.  But at times, we may really believe that we are on the right track and things are moving full speed ahead.  But then things seem to get a little blurry and we find ourselves stubbornly holding on to our plan and trying to get the Lord to follow our ideas on how things should work.  Then we begin to wonder, why have we stop moving?  We feel like we’re stuck… It is then that the Lord may be taking us the long way around because we are not ready to fight what may be ahead of us.  So, although it takes longer than we had hoped, we cannot grow weary in the wilderness.  The Bible says if we seek His will in all [we] do, He will show [us] which path to take.  The Lord knows what’s best for us and His timing is always perfect! 

So, as I ponder my original questions, how long will Holy Ghost Downloads podcast last?  What if the His downloads stop?  The Holy Spirit said to me that as long as I am a willing vessel the oil of anointing will continue to flow …and that goes for you too.  I’m sure that that will be a future episode. 

The Wilderness is a Part of the Journey

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Copyright: muha

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My Holy Ghost Downloads blog was a year old on Sept. 30th, and it’s interesting to see that the messages from the Holy Spirit has had a common thread throughout.  The Holy Spirit has been very specific about us looking really close at our respective journeys and determining where we are in God’s process.  One day, I’d love to reread all the posts of the blog to Him speak to me again with new revelation and share with all of you, and I’m sure I will. 

But for now, let’s take a moment to look where our journey began… Our very first post was about the children of Israel coming out of bondage from Pharaoh, the ruler in Egypt. The Holy Spirit has helped us to realize our own freedom from bondage and search the many facets of our own journeys, for instance, waiting on the Lord, having faith, dealing with our feeling, experiencing doubt, yet having hope and so much more.  But then we spent a lot of time, with one of my newfound, very favorite scripture in Isaiah 43, which has been interwoven throughout the Holy Ghost Downloads and I’m sure will continue to be …

For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

isaiah 43:19

So, we must understand that the Wilderness is a part of the Journey…

If we were to look back over the last 12 months, what would we see?  Now, if we could look ahead 12 months and what would we see?  Are we looking at all the pieces of the puzzle, are we connecting the dots? Are we seeing the Order of our steps?  Or have you found that we are in the wilderness? 

Let’s go back to the children of Israel…  They left Egypt and instead of being able to take the short route, the Lord took them the long way around.  In Exodus, Chapter 13, the Bible calls it, Israel’s Wilderness Detour!

17 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.[c] Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.[d]

Exodus 13-17-18

20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. 22 And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

Exodus 13-20-22

But then we all know that the Egyptians came after the Israelites, and they crossed the Red Sea.  Now I’m sure that you may be wondering why is she giving us another history lesson?  Because I need for us to understand that what should have taken 11 days turned into 40 years of wandering, but either way the wilderness was a part of the journey.  Although, the Lord may lead us into the wilderness and provide for us while we are there, the manna wasn’t meant to be permanent.  God will sustain us to survive, but He didn’t mean for us to get too comfortable with it and settle in the wilderness. 

We can’t allow our expectations, resistance or fear of the outcome influence our ability to change course at the risk of not moving at all.  Planning to move, will only take us to the starting line, it won’t get us moving.  Our purpose works differently, it will drive us forward, regardless of what goes right or wrong.  So, when we relentlessly hold on to our purpose, versus our plan, we will surrender to the direction God wants to take us.  So, what’s it gonna be?  11 days or 40 years? 

Again, it’s our choice, but either way the wilderness is a part of the journey! So be sure to always take a moment to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying…