Suffering with Jesus

This morning I was struck by the words of Hebrews 5:8 in the Message Bible, "Though he was God's Son, he learned trusting obedience by what he suffered, just as we do."  In the NASB, those last four words, just as we do, are not included in the text.  But today, as I meditated on this verse, I was amazed at just how good Father God's intentions are towards us.

Many times when we are suffering, we turn our attention from God to the trials and circumstances that we are facing. In the midst of shifting our focus, our God becomes small and our problems become big. Like Jesus on the cross, we cry out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Has God really forsaken you or does it just feel like God has forsaken you? If He himself has said, "I'll never leave you nor will I ever forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5), it's probably more that we are believing the lie that God has forsaken us.

So, the question remains: how do I learn trusting obedience through my suffering? To really get to the heart of that, I must first consider how trust is formed. Trust happens when I have a need.  I express my need. There is a response to my need. My need is met and I am comforted (Defining the Relationship, Danny Silk). When my need is met, I believe that you care about me and I begin to trust you. When I trust you, I know that my heart is safe with you and I can be vulnerable, open and transparent with you. I can show you all of me and you will still love me. You will still accept me. I find it interesting that the root word of obedience in Hebrews 5:8 means to give ear to a teaching or a teacher; to comprehend; to understand.

If it is true that teaching happens best during times of intimacy, isn't it interesting that the evil one would try so hard to shift our attention from Jesus to our problems in times of trouble? If we focus on our problems, we're more likely to become offended, get mad at God, ask 'why' questions, feel sorry for ourselves, be jealous of others and the list of pity could go on forever. We're more likely, in that moment, to believe the lies of the evil one and agree with him thus giving him the legal right to torment us. In that moment of looking at our big, big problem, we are more likely to partner with victim, anxiety, fear and worry.

I believe this is why Father God inspired Holy Spirit to include in the gospels the story of Jesus asleep in the boat while a storm raged around Him. It's a great image of the very words Jesus Himself spoke in John 16:33 when He said, " ...in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have trouble.  But, take heart! I have overcome the world."

So, in that moment, as a son/daughter, I get to choose. Will I look at all that I'm suffering through and be overwhelmed by my problem? Or will I keep my focus, my attention on the One who has promised that I will overcome what I am suffering? In that moment, if I choose well, I learn trusting obedience.

I learn that I can be completely honest and transparent before God. I can tell Him how I feel and what I need. I can trust Him to respond to my needs, in His way, in His time. I give up my right to tell Him how to fix it. I allow God the opportunity to manage His love towards me and I confidently expect that good will come to me. In keeping the posture of hope and reliant confidence in God, I allow myself to give ear to Teacher who comes alongside as my Helper, my friend to walk with me through seasons of suffering. In those times, Holy Spirit speaks gently to my heart, maturing me, allowing me the opportunity to see who God wants to be to me and how He wants me to be. It's an amazing opportunity to learn more about Father's nature while having the fruit of the Spirit formed in you in an even greater way; transforming you more and more into the image and likeness of His dear Son.

If my focus is on my problem, I miss the opportunity to learn more about God and more about myself. No, I do not believe that God brings trouble to teach us a lesson. I do believe, however, that God can use the trouble that happens in this fallen world to reveal more of His goodness, His bigness and His great love for His kids to us. Many of us, however, miss the opportunity to learn more about God because we wallow in the gravity of our situation instead of remaining steadfast in the magnitude of God's bigness and His love for us.

The answer is not in the whirlwind. It's not even in our circumstance or situation. If there is no response to my need, my need goes unmet and I never have the opportunity to receive comfort. When I am not comforted, mistrust develops.  Comfort can never be found in inanimate objects( your problems, your circumstances). If I want a response to my need, I must look to the One who holds the answer. The One who can wake from a dead sleep and command the wind and the waves to be at peace. In Christ alone, my hope is found. He alone has the key. And in that place, I learn to trust Him. And in trusting Him, I learn to hear His voice, teaching me, growing me, maturing me into the glorious freedom of sonship.

There is a method to the madness. There is a purpose in the pain. Find comfort in the circumstance and see Jesus standing there, asking gently to take the pressure, to take the sense of being overwhelmed or being swept under. See Jesus standing there, waiting to make a divine exchange in the moment of your suffering. See Jesus standing there waiting to teach you, to give you an upgrade so that you can see the love of His Father, our Father in an even greater way.

I bless you to look with your eyes and see the One who holds you in the palm of His hand. I bless you to know that He is with you. He is for you. The Lord your God is a Mighty Warrior and He has arrived to live among you. He rejoices over you with great joy! With His love, He calms all of your fears. Only look to Him, He is mighty to save!

What are you learning about Father God in the midst of your suffering? Who does He want to be to you? What part of Himself is He offering to you? Who is He asking you to be? What fruit of His Spirit is He asking you to display in this season? What would your life look like if you allowed yourself to more overwhelmed by God than your circumstances?

A PICTURE OF GREATNESS

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For most people, the struggle of their life is to answer the questions: Who am I? What’s my purpose in life? What am I called to do?

For me, my struggle doesn’t lie at that end of the spectrum.  I know who I am or more importantly, I know Whose I am. I have a very good grasp on my purpose. I know what makes me come alive. I know what it’s like to be burning on all cylinders. Like Jesus, I can fully articulate, “for this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world.”  For me, the struggle of my life is: What do you do when you know you’re called to greatness and you don’t feel like you’re living it?

You see, I’ve seen my end from my beginning. I have a vision of what greatness looks like.  What I wrestle with is how to get from here to there.   In this place, in this time, I’m a no one. I have no title. I have no responsibility and yet I’m destined for greatness.  The mere paradox of the statement begs me to question if my picture of greatness matches Father God’s picture of greatness. After all, it is He who has called me to such height.

What’s my picture of greatness? Speaking to crowds of ten, hundreds, thousands. Sharing relevant messages on the finished work. Preaching about grace and bringing a revelation of the Father’s love. Mentoring. Equipping. Empowering. Raising up leaders and world changers. Giving my life to see people get it. Teaching others how to live in constancy. Bringing believers into agreement with God so they can learn to live as sons and daughters in right relationship with Father God empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is the desire that burns within me. This is my sweet spot. When I am doing this, everything in me shouts, “For this cause was I born. For this cause have I come into the world!”

Sounds noble, doesn’t it? Why yes, yes it does, such a grand and lofty thing to accomplish for the Lord.  And yet, even this, as noble and honorable as it is, is all dung when held up beside Father God’s picture of greatness.

If there was never another pulpit would I still be significant? If there was never another applause would I still be significant? If every atta boy faded away, would I still be significant? If I never teach again, preach again, would I still be significant? The answer is a resounding yes. My significance is not tied to what I do. I am significant because of Whose I am. Even if I never do another thing for God, Jesus, you alone are enough for me. When all is stripped away, I remain significant.

I saw greatness in light of what I did. An easy mistake that fuels discontent. Father God sees greatness in light of who I am. A right belief that breeds confidence. I’m great because I have received the spirit of adoption whereby I cry, “Abba, Father” or “Daddy, Daddy!”  I’m great because I’ve chosen the good part, which is living life fully loved. This is the height to which He has called me.

When I understand Daddy God’s picture of greatness, it eliminates my need for striving. I’m not trying to achieve some far off status.  Because of what Jesus has done, I already am.  I am confident that Daddy God is good and He is for me. I get to be great in every situation or circumstance because I am hid in His bigness and His goodness for me.  I don’t need a stage to be great. I am great in my living room. I am great at a lunch counter. I’m great at the park or wherever life takes me. Greatness doesn’t come in an event. It comes in the revelation that I am a son or I am a daughter and because my Daddy is great, I am called to be as He is.

Greatness looks like peace – the exemption from rage and havoc of war.  I am great because in my Dad I get a free pass from madness, from violence, from uncontrollable anger. I get a free pass from destruction and chaos. I am great when I am my same self no matter the situation or circumstance. I am great when I am free from danger (security).  I am great when I am free from loss (safety).  I am great when I am successful, flourishing, thriving (prosperity).  I am great when I am happy (felicity).

All the time, I was focusing on an external picture of greatness and Papa God was focusing on an internal picture. Often times, we try to do to be. Papa God calls us to be. Our internal reality creates our external reality.

I would ask Father God, “how can I serve you today?” “What can I do for you today, Lord?”  And He would say with such grace, “Come sit with me. Come be with me. Come play with me. Come sing with me. Come fly with me.”  Always fun. Always free. Always relational. Always my choice. Often times never saying a word, just sitting…being. I wanted to change the world. He wanted to change me. I had articulated my purpose in life. I had a mission and so did He. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Somewhere along the way, I believed the lie that if I wasn’t doing something big for God, I wasn’t being great. Now, stripped of titles, devoid of responsibility, with nothing to do except be, I’ve come to realize that if I never do another single exploit in the name of God it won’t discount my greatness any less or esteem my significance any more.  Simply learning to live as a daughter is the greatest thing I could ever do. To master the fullness of living life fully loved is to live a life of peace, safety, security, acceptance, rest, and trust. It is total confidence and reliance on God as my Father.  This is why Jesus came.

I am because He is. If I never do another thing, Papa God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, You alone are enough for me. In You, I am found. In You, I am free.  When I understand fully in my inner being that my greatness, my significance is tied to my sonship, no matter what task or role I find myself in: speaking to thousands or cleaning toilets, I can live head high and heart abandoned to the One.

When I have peace, I am living in greatness. When I have safety, security, prosperity, trust, acceptance, I am living in greatness. When I’m confident in Daddy God’s bigness and His goodness for me, I am living in greatness. Every day I wake up and I feel the Father loving me, I am living in my sweet spot. It’s the greatest moment of my life to live life fully loved.

Right perspective changes everything.

 Felicia Murrell ©2012

LOVING OUR CITY THROUGH PRAYER

--> 1 Corinthians 13:13: "Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."   Faith is our belief system. It's that place of absolute confidence, conviction and trust that God is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do. When we are praying for our city, we must be absolutely persuaded in how big God is. If we have a big, big God by default it makes the evil one an itty-bitty devil. And who is he is and what he does is so miniscule in comparison to our BIG, BIG Daddy God. When I am absolutely persuaded of God's bigness and I pray from that revelation of majesty, fear will never enter the equation. 

Hope is the confident expectation of good. When I bring hope to my prayers, I come with a revelation of how good God is. It is in that confident place that I can boldly declare, "Lord, overwhelm my city with Your goodness. Draw them to change their mind for the better (repentance) by pursuing them with Your goodness." When I understand that God is good and that He is in a good mood, my prayers become devoid of judgment. 

Agape love is good will, charity, fondness, benevolence. I John 4:8 says it best, "God is love." When I bring love to my prayers, I bring God. I bring the full expression of who He is. When I bring God into my prayers, I enter into a partnership with Him. I get to ask what is on His heart for my city. I get to see the areas of my city that break His heart. I get to ask what His good intention and His purpose and plan is for my city. When I bring God to my prayers, I am afforded an opportunity to have a Philippians 3:10 experience," that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection of the dead." In those moments, God shows me where the injustices are over my city and then He shows me His good intention towards my city and I get to be the bridge that prays His heart, His desire, His perfect plan for my city back to Him. I willingly join Him in the fellowship of His sufferings, because like Jesus who endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), I know that God is big and He is good. In my belief and confident expectation, love shows up in my prayers. As does patience, kindness, endurance, hope, belief; because love covers (see 1 Corinthians 13). So, I blanket my city in love who is God. And that's the safest place to be in the whole wide world. This is what I bring when I come to pray for my city. 

Listening further, I was directed to Matthew 6:9-13. Yes, we all know it, the Lord's prayer. I felt like I heard Holy Spirit say and this is what you pray for and then He began to dissect this passage in my heart.

Our Father - Pray for identity. Pray that the people in your city would come to know God as Father. God as a loving, perfect, holy Father who is drawing them to Himself. Pray that they will learn to live fully accepted, fully loved, and completely safe. 

Holy is your name - Pray for sanctification. Pray that your city would be a city unto God. Pray for a revelation in the hearts of the people to know how jealous I am for them. How I long for them to come to me. Pray that they would know that I have set them apart for myself, to be loved by me, to live in my family. My Son's blood has purified them that they might come and be with Me.
Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. - Assignment. Your job as my Kingdom ambassador is to bring My Kingdom to any place in your city where my Kingdom rule does not exist. And any place in your city that does not look like heaven, release heaven. Any place in your city where injustice prevails, release the Kingdom. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of my throne. Lovingkindess and truth go before you (Ps. 89:14).

Give us this day our daily bread. - Pray for provision. 
 
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors - Pray for forgiveness. Stand in the gap with identificational repentance for sins that have been committed in your city. John 20:23," If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained. Forgiveness restores the standard. Forgiveness leads to restoration and reconciliation. Is not this the ministry God has given us (2 Corinthians 5:18)?

Lead us not into temptation - Pray for guidance. Pray for a revelation of Holy Spirit in the lives of the people in your city. Pray that the Spirit of truth would guide people into all truth (John 16:13). Pray that Holy Spirit would guide them into a revelation of Jesus as Lord and Savior and God as their Heavenly Father. Pray for divine appointments and God encounters. 

Deliver us from evil - Pray for protection over your city.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. - Dominion. Pray Revelation 11:15,"that the kingdom of this world (the kingdom/governmental office of your city) would become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Pray that our city would be known for making the name of the Lord famous. 

I bless you today to love your city through prayer. May you be the one to pray for your city with an understanding of who you are and what you carry. Pray for your city with love and compassion. Pray from heaven, praying God's heart, His blueprint, His strategies, His good intentions for your city. Agree with God. Grab a hold of His heart for your city and then pray it back to Him.

Truth

Truth

I am righteous

I am worthy

I am loved

It's my time to play

Jesus wants the best for me

Daddy God is not withholding anything from me

God believes in me.

God delights in me.

God loves me.

I am good. I am a treasure. I have worth.

I am pleasing to Daddy God

©2011 Felicia Murrell YzCounsel Ministries 

Life Lessons in Marriage

Life lessons in my journey of marriage:
1) Don't beat yourself up about not having time for everything.  Lean your heart into God and lean back and love others.  Through His grace, Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom to do the things you need to do. So enjoy the moment and aim your heart at thriving in the season you are in.

2) On a good day, you control you. Tell yourself what to do and do it.  Be honest about your feelings and your expectations (ones you've placed on yourself and on your spouse).  It's important to understand that the goal of communication is not agreement.  The goal of communication is to be heard. Get good at telling your spouse what you need. Give them the tools they need to love you. Don't assume they know what you need. Silence sets you up for injured expectations which leads to discontent and disillusion. Eliminate this with good communication.  Make your heart and your home a safe place where honesty, transparency, and vulnerability can have free reign.

3) Lastly, keep it hot! Let your passion for God create the overflow and outflow of your passion for your mate.  Love deeply. Don't hold back any part of you. Give freely. After all, you are created in the image of a generous Father. Forgive quickly. Always value your connection above being right. Unforgiveness  blocks intimacy and opens the door to torment.

Have fun!

Remember that joy is 1/3 of the Kingdom of God (Romans 5:17).

Laugh a lot.

Play games together.

Get good at loving. Have fun at living.

Let your hair down and enjoy the journey.

©2011 Felicia Murrell YzCounsel Ministries 

The Commissioning

You bid me write
You bid me come
You bid me dream with thee

What shall I say to you
What shall I write for You
What thoughts does Your heart hold

Secrets to share with me
Infinite love released
Mysteries to unfold

I'm searching Your heart today
What's on Your mind today
What part of Yourself
Will You reveal

Partner with Me today
I'll teach you how to pray
How to declare My will

I will provide for you
My grace abounds to you
Oh the depth of how I feel

I willingly died for you
Now I want you to live

Live in My heart today
Be found in Me this way
Extend your hand to heal

©2011 Felicia Murrell YzCounsel Ministries 

Symphony

Symphony
Sound
Syncopation
The waves crashing in, roaring in
Flooding the nation

What's the sound?
Hear the sound?
It's the voice of mighty waters

Peace, I say
Peace, I say
Peace to all your borders

The roar of the land
The roar of the sea
Blending in perfect harmony

There's a unity in the sound
A oneness in the song
The saints are summoned
To sing along

Carry the tune
Pound the drum
Come people of God
Hum hum hum

Roaring
Flowing
Crashing In
A melodious song on the lips of men

Praise Him
Raise Him
Lift Him high

He's the roar of the ocean
The symphonic beat
The Desire of the Nations
The Love we seek

Symphony
Sound
Syncopation
Releasing hope to all generations

Hear the song?
Hear the sound?

Live
Be Free
Go fulfill your destiny

For this cause I've come
For this cause I've came
To redeem you, restore you
Give you my name

Go Live
Go Be
Go fulfill your destiny

Heaven applauds you
The earth awaits you
Will you join with the sound?
©2011 Felicia Murrell YzCounsel Ministries