My Great Awakening: Blessings Abound
Is An End Really Just a New Beginning?

There's a question I've often heard: "How good is your word?" Meaning, will you do what you say you will do? It questions the strength of honor and respect in your word.

In a prayerful time, God gave me a word/promise over 3 years ago. And recently, God has been using a lot of words with me lately. Ninety nine specific words as a matter of fact. The interesting point here is that I can almost mark the point, to the day, that this particular segment in my journey began. It was that day, May 29, 2008 that I felt the need to blog about surrender. It's not that I've never blogged on that topic before (actually, looking back, I've blogged about it more times than I care to admit), but I felt a strange compulsion. You know the feeling... you really don't know what's happening but you just know you have to be obedient. I was.

It has been an unbelievable blessing. It's been difficult, don't get me wrong. It's demanded everything. But big things rarely cost little. In this case, it's cost everything.

OK, so how often have you read that? "God really bless me", God really amazed me", "God really showed Himself ". Now, that's not to say those times haven't been true. But I find it superficial to reduce God to brevity. I've shared my story since the beginning. It's no use stopping now.

I've had quite a few very cool milemarkers along the journey. But I find myself (I think) in the closing chapters. I find it interesting that the first word He gave was hope and the last word was enlargement. Well, I say "last", but that's really not for me to decide, is it? And perhaps I want a breakthrough so badly that I might try to conjur one up for God. Oh, forgive me God! Let me not put anything in front of you. Even my own desire to know You intimately.

The most recent words:

Come to me
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God. “Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.”
John 6:44-45
Yet there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 6:64-65
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink".
John 7:37
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Still
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Exodus 14:14
The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve."
Nehemiah 8:11
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:7
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10
Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
Zechariah 2:13

Abide
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:7
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:25
the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
1 John 2:6

Dwell
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4

Repentance
yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
2 Corinthians 7:9-11
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
Hebrews 6:1-3
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

Redemption
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:30

Inheritance
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Colossians 1:12
since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:24

Enlargement
ANSWER ME when I call, O God of my righteousness (uprightness, justice, and right standing with You)! You have freed me when I was hemmed in and enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.
Psalm 4:1

There are 8 this time. Isn't 8 the number of new beginnings? My great awakening is complete. Or at least I feel like I'm turning a corner in this journey of mine.

I told two former Bible study group friends of mine that I felt a completion coming on. Matter of fact, here's the email (dated 2 June, 2008):

Hey,

Well, I've recently communicated with the both of you one way or the other, but I wanted to give you a further update on me right now. Truth be told, I feel a "completion" coming on to a time of growth for me (can't really give you more insight than that right now). I have no idea what. But it just feels like right now I'm finishing up the details" to some stuff God is working on in me. Will keep you posted.

That's why I've named this section of my journey the great awakening. It has been an awakening of my eyes to my heart. And awakening my heart to love. How specifically?

First in truly seeing that He was pursuing me. I don't think I could have gotten to the next steps if first I didn't really see that He loved me and was pursuing me (and had been with me, each day, all along).

Second, in seeing who He is. I have a page in my journal where I've just written one word descriptions of him (perfect, timely, creator, good, healer, etc). Just gave me new perspective.

Third, I saw that there was junk in my heart that needed cleaning up (arrogance, pride). He created a clean heart and He has made my heart His home.

The good news is that where there was once head knowledge and a willingness to follow Him, there is now a heart-mind connection and a passion to intimately know Him. There is a difference my friend. And the by-product, I would say, is similar to real vs plastic fruit.

It still boils down to a few things: being blameless and righteous, walking with Him, doing all the He commands. And even when we feel like we're forgotten, He always remembers His promises. Blessings ALWAYS abound!

I think His word is good.

All for now,
Lisa

Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." - Revelation 4:8