A Paradise Of Peace
Steady On… I climbed all the way up the mountain. It was so beautiful at the top. I could see everything in every direction. There was so much clarity and peace overwhelming my soul, as I experienced the newness of the sights, sounds and smells, breathing in deeply of it all. This was paradise! Peace! Divine Peace. I breathed it into my soul. I wanted to stay in Paradise forever! Listen up to this 1 Minute Encouragement Video:
A Sudden Storm
I turned and looked to the east, and that is when I saw it, a storm, a huge storm brewing on the horizon. A sense of panic disrupted my paradise, my peace, and my thoughts became overwhelmingly, chaotically, fear driving me with the strong opinion that I was not in a safe place at the top of this mountain. (James 1:14-15) I looked at the massive, quickly approaching storm, riveted in a fear-focus at its size, and my whirlwind of thoughts created a reactive, impulsive choice. What I thought I knew was that I was very exposed and vulnerable here, and there was nowhere for me to take shelter, and that ugly storm will overtake me soon, and I needed to get down off this mountain… now!
Tripped Up
I got my backpack and impulsively started down the mountain, my pack felt so much heavier going downhill than it did uphill, it was cumbersome as I was harried by the anxiety as I heard the storm getting closer. Boom! Thunder! It hit and the storm was upon me. Torrential rain, lightening, wind… could it get any worse… yes… hail! The path was muddy and I couldn’t see clearly and was running aimlessly, (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 CSB) carelessly downward with a heavy pack, I tripped on a root, that in the chaos of the moment, I had not seen, and down I went, sliding in the mud, scraping up my legs, bruising my arms and then I hit something and felt tremendous pain in my knee and ended up entangled in some thorny bush.
Snared
I lay in the dark, the storm raging on all sides of me, soaked to the bone, all muddied up, all scraped up, wounded, and wondering how I could go from the top of that mountain, from all that freedom, beauty, paradise and peace, and suddenly find myself here, alone in the chaos, entangled, hurt by the storm, with no apparent way out of the danger. (2 Timothy 2:25-26) Ever been here? Snared by the enemy and entrapped in his web of deceit? Can you relate to being hurt, wounded by an impulsive choice? God Intervenes! God doesn’t leave us trapped. Then all of a sudden, I thought of this word written on my heart, and it interrupted my chaos in the moment with a shalom revelation of heavenly hindsight:
“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Don’t think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that’s wrong. Then you will find the healing refreshment your body and spirit long for.” Proverbs 3:5-8 TPT
I Think I Know
In that moment, with the Holy Spirit, crashing in, disrupting my chaos with a reminding of godly wisdom, I suddenly realized I had been led by impulsive fear to make my own way. I had started down that mountain, stepping out in my own intuitiveness, fueled by anxiety. I had not even acknowledged God was with me. I had not even ask for His help. I did not seek His direction for my next step, or follow after His peace. (Philippians 4:7) I leaned into my anxious, fear driving thought: I have to get down…now! I took off down that mountain on my own, trying to beat a storm, and I ended up muddied, broken, bruised, and entangled in a heap on the path of my choosing. Yes, stupidly I had impulsively followed after fear, stepping out in my “I Think I Know”, instead of acknowledging God, asking for help, and staying in followship of Him, and being led by His peace. Unfortunately, I had drifted away from truth, being led by fear (Hebrews 2:1) and there I laid, entangled and foolishly defeated. (Psalms 2:3) Out of the depths of my soul despair I cried out: God forgive me, I did not realize what I was doing. I impulsively followed after my human condition and I am in a mess I can’t get out of!
My Own Foolishness
Immediately, I felt ashamed, and terribly sorry, as I realized I had been snared by the enemy of my soul. (Proverbs 28:13) I looked up and sought God’s comfort, and lingered in the Presence of God, lamenting over my bad choice, and I asked God for forgiveness (Psalm 32:5) and yielded to His, Way, Truth, and life, as I sat wounded upon that muddy path, stranded in the storm by my own foolishness, entangled in the brambles that the enemy had intended for me to be stuck in.
Grossly Exaggerated Reaction
Jesus sat down with me in the dirt and the mire of my bad choice, and extended to me His mercy, (Lamentations 3:17-26) that I did not deserve, or had not earned. Peace flooded my soul. (Mark 4:39) As suddenly as the storm moved in, it then moved further down the mountain, and dissipated right before my eyes. I realized then, that in the focusing of my worldly viewpoint, I had grossly exaggerated the storms effect over me, and truly underestimated the Dunamis Power and authority of My God, Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts. This was eye-opening revelation, caused my soul to immediately bow in Adoration and Awe before My God. (Proverbs 1:32-33) Then There Was Peace!
Burdensome Backpack
Jesus then offered me His Mighty right hand, (Isaiah 41:10-13) and pulled me up and out of my entanglements, and out of danger of sliding down again. Jesus then took my burdensome backpack and carried it (Matthew 11:28-30) for me and He guided me (Isaiah 30:21) down the narrow path by His helpful strength and might, and delivered me from the dangerous situation my impulsive fear had quickly drifted me into. (Psalm 23) My WayMaker God led me to safety, where I was cleaned up and healed, fully restored, renovated, and revived body, soul and spirit. In that sweet and unforgettable moment, I was filled with a desire to truly know My God, the ALL of Who He is.
Jehovah Sabaoth
I learned a great lesson from that situation of a sudden storm rising and crashing in on my peace. Always, look to God and stay and followship of Him, acknowledging Him in all my ways, as He is a miraculous Deliverer, a Way-Maker God, Jehovah Sabaoth, (Psalm 24:7-10) in command of earth and heaven. As I learn more about Who He is, my Adoration of Him grows in truth, and I gain an active faith that never again will impulsively follow fear, but will always acknowledge the One I Adore, and know! Without a doubt, God The Father (John 14:6-11) is with me, never leaves or forsakes me, and is totally able to deliver me, navigate me, and lead me by His peace. (John 14:27)
Adoring God
In my impulsive reaction to the storm approaching, the missing piece of my spiritual growth was adoration. (Ephesians 3:14-20) The more I got to know God, and how incredibly powerful and amazing He is, my Awe-God Adoration of Him grew. Adoring Him throughout my day, I expressed my overflowing adoration of Him, through reverent praise and worship, through heartfelt gratitude. The more I grew in Adoration of my God, the less the enemy was able to snare me with impulsive fear. (Isaiah 41:10)
Adoration = Spiritual Maturity
As I stayed in adoration of God, and who He is, and the miraculous characteristics of what He was capable of doing and being, I became more confident in Him, and was less and less fear driven by impulsive, anxious thinking. (1 Chronicles 29:11-13) Godly, revelatory choices occurred more as I waited patiently on God’s peace to lead me. Adoration of God changed things up for me, and ushered in a new spiritual maturity where more moment to choice, responding to God in followship of His peace (Colossians 3:15) happened, and less and less impulsive reaction out of my foolish human condition occurred. (Galatians 5:1) As Adoration of God, this missing piece of my spiritual maturity, was God developed, and grew strong in me, I was no longer foolishly reacting to the enemy of my soul’s temptation to be carelessly impulsive, and I found myself responding to God first, and being led by His peace and truth. Got Adoration alive in your life? Listen Up To This 1 Minute Encouragement Video:
Adoration=Strong-Steady Faith
My spiritual growth of the knowledge of Who God is, and in Awe-Adoration of God, has given me a new sense of calm courage, as I look to Him in spirit and truth, (John 4:24) and my soul patiently endures, in courageous, fearless, soul harmony with Him, as I wait on His Peace to lead me. Awe-Adoration has led me to the truth, that I can, in full assurance of faith, in the midst of any wild life-storm, have the emotional fortitude to wait on God to navigate me. (1 Peter 5:10) Even in the storm, it is well with my soul, as I await in Adoration of my Awe-God to lead me strongly and steady on. (Ephesians 6:10)
“In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with him! Your spiritual roots go deeply into his life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!” Colossians 2:6-7 TPT
Steady On With Awe-GOD Adoration
Thank you for stopping into The Bridegroom’s Cafe today. We hope you were fed spiritually at the Adoration Table. Please make sure you subscribe to our site, we totally appreciate it. Our Rumble Channel: https://rumble.com/c/KimberlyMac where our 1 Minute Encouragement Videos are posted is a great way to get a little bite of encouragement. Make sure you subscribe by our rumble link provided. Thank you. God bless you and yours… MUCH! KimberlyMac, Author