Go Strengthen Your Brethren
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” -Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV)
This past week, I was really struggling with all of the change in my life. Yet, in the midst of it all, I got to really experience and see the beauty of the body of Christ rallying around me and being the hands and feet of Jesus in my life.
I don’t know about you, but for me: when there’s a lot going on in and around my life, I kind of just ignore my internal ‘check engine light,’ turn up the music, and continue on with the, ‘Everything’s fine—I can keep going,’ approach. But, that never really works out well for me….
I’m continually learning how to walk in his spirit, not my strength (Zechariah 4:6). But, something new for me is learning how to reach out and ask for help. Yikes! 😬 Sounds easy, but it’s really learning how to lay down self-sufficiency, pride, etc., and humbly ask for help.
Surprisingly, no one said no. OK, maybe not surprisingly, but it is terrifying to ask for help when you don’t know how to let people into those tender areas the Lord is working on.
When I did so, it paved the way for so much healing and comfort. People didn’t just say, “I’ll pray for you,” but they actually prayed for me right there on the spot. I received encouraging text messages, songs, and scriptures from dear friends.
And with the permission from one of those dear friends, I wanted to freely give the word I received from her in hopes it blesses and encourages you, too!
After opening up to a sweet friend, this was one of the words she gave me:
“On Sunday morning at church, there was a father sitting in front of me, and his daughter had fallen asleep on his chest and he was holding her. As a mom, I thought about how much I miss that stage when your kids are small enough to put them on your chest and just snuggle with them.
And, that’s the image I see for you. He wants you to be like that child—resting on her Father’s chest. The Lord is like, ‘just snuggle with me. You want to be grown up, and you want to be big, but I want you snuggled up, resting, and leaning on my chest.’”
If you haven’t already, take a minute to see yourself as that child and lean into the Father.
Selah
This word deeply ministered to my heart.
How comforting is it to know we never outgrow this stage, and we can always crawl into our Heavenly Father’s lap and let him love on us?!
Then, the next morning after receiving that word, I opened up my Bible to continue my daily reading plan. I was in 1 John 2 when this headline and scripture stood out to me:
The Children of God
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” -1 John 2:28 (NKJV)
This scripture was just another nudge from the Holy Spirit to remain childlike before the Father. He really doesn’t need us to be ‘big and strong’—he just needs us abiding and resting in him.
The Kingdom of Heaven truly is at hand (Matthew 10:7).