My child, as you love and serve your spouse, you are loving and serving Me. As you treat others it is a direct reflection of how you are treating Me. Be emptied of self and filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s the only way you can accomplish this.
Author Archives: Karen Lemburg
Quiet Your Mind
Quiet your mind. Be still and know that I am God. Do not be anxious or fearful about the future. I’ve got you in the palm of My hand. Rest in My love for you and stand firm in your faith.
You have your gifts
My child, you can appreciate and enjoy other people’s gifts but realize you have your gifts. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Be the best of who I made you to be. You are unique and one of a kind. Let Me shine through you today.
Oneness
My child, My bride, draw close to Me. I long for intimacy with you. I long for the closeness, the bond, the oneness that brings complete fulfillment. I am the only One who can provide that for you. Come to Me, fully surrendered, and I will give you rest, peace, joy, and love.
Fresh Life Through Suffering
One rainy winter day, I noticed how dusty our houseplant was. So I set it outside to rinse it off a little. Not a bad idea—except that I forgot about bringing it in. The next morning, I was horrified to see the poor thing had lost all its leaves. Sheepishly, I put it right back in its favorite corner. Later, I was overjoyed to see hundreds of tiny shoots reappearing on its barren branches.
Right then, God spoke clearly to my heart: “This is what I’m doing to you!” I’d been going through some difficulties, so I immediately understood what God was saying. He’d been exposing me to extreme circumstances, using suffering so that fresh life could sprout. That lesson taught me to embrace trials whenever they come my way. They’re there for my good—to transform my character. For God, suffering is a much lesser evil than a mediocre heart.
From: Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
An Appetite for Intimacy
God wants you! And He wants you to want Him. He desires the kind of relationship rooted in our need to be with Him. Can we survive spiritually in a halfhearted relationship with God? Sure we can. But merely going through the motions doesn’t carry a whole lot of weight with Him. Nobody likes indifference! What we do for God is important, certainly. But if our efforts are not coupled with intimacy, they have little value.
How can we alter our tendency toward doing stuff, as opposed to being what God wants? First recognize it as a problem. Ask God to change the motivation of your heart. He’ll answer that prayer! Then practice it! Few things succeed in life without a lot of practice. Granted, employing this discipline doesn’t come easily. What’s encouraging, though, is that reaching toward greater intimacy with God just naturally increases our appetite for it.
From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
God Sees Relationship Like We Do
Deciding whether or not to pursue intimacy with God has its rewards—and its consequences. Ask any parent. Ask them what they value most: an adult child who desires to be close for the sake of relationship itself, or one who relates to them either from obligation or from selfishness, motivated by the fear of losing some future benefit. They’ll tell you! Parents love both children the same. But which do you think will receive more of their affection? Which deserves their undivided companionship and support?
God is like that. How could He be pleased with those who pursue Him merely from self-interest or a sense of obligation? God sees it the same way we do. Though He doesn’t reject His children when they don’t show much interest in Him, just imagine how thrilled He must be with those whose motives are pure—who want Him just because He’s Dad.
From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself
Always on My mind
My child, you are always on My mind. My thoughts towards you are good and pleasant. I love you with everlasting love. When you feel lost, lonely or shame, know that those thoughts are not from Me. Your enemy, the devil seeks to kill, steal and destroy. But I came to bring life, abundant life, joy and peace. Choose to live in My presence and do not buy into the enemies lies.
Finally Fed Up with Failure
Can we bear fruit without being personally transformed? Yes, if we’re willing to settle for a skimpy crop. But we won’t be successful in producing what Jesus wants—“much fruit.” God wants to see us radically changed. And since we know we can’t transform ourselves, He must have a method to bring it about. God has His part in the process, and we’ve got ours.
If transformation is ever to happen, we must cooperate with God as He goes about working in our life. For us, it’s all about choice! But we often have to come to the end of ourselves—finally fed up with failure—before we are able to make that commitment. You may be at that point in your life right now! If so, unconditionally give yourself over to God, and then take action by walking in obedience. Remember, this is a choice we make day by day.
Immersing Yourself in God
A fruitful relationship with Jesus can never be built only by attempting to obey God. Though obedience certainly has its place, relationship based on it alone will never succeed. Genuine fruitfulness can be achieved only one way: immersing ourselves in the very life of His Spirit—communing with God. Jesus wants us to “abide in Him.”
But how do we do this? First and foremost, personal time spent with God is indispensable. On a human level, have you ever heard of a strong relationship being built without the investment of time spent together? Genuine friendship is impossible without such a commitment. Just like in any human relationship, our bond with God depends on personal interaction. And it needs to be a two-way street—not only speaking to God, but also listening with the expectation that He intends to speak back. It often happens as we meditate in Scripture.