Sunday, October 28, 2018

"Make It Personal"


Reflections4Life October 28, 2018
“Make It Personal”
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Scripture Contemplation: Deuteronomy 4; Ruth 2; 2 Chronicles 9; Zephaniah 1; 1 Peter 1
©Ruthe McDonald.

Do you know and understand that it is okay to ask God questions? I believe it is natural for each person to want to understand who God is, and what better way than to just ask Him. There is much about the Father we do not understand and have yet to learn but God is waiting to reveal. The Father wants us to get personal. Make our relationship with Him, personal.
I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Make your time with God this week, personal. Do not be afraid to ask God those questions hidden in your heart. Be bold and confident and come to God baring your all. He will be right there for you and with you. He desires a personal and intimate relationship with the real you.
Is there a difference between asking God a question and questioning God? I guess it depends on what you mean. I was taught that we should never question God or to ask Him why He allowed something or did something. That, if I did ask or questioned God that I would be committing a grave sin in doing so.
I could never understand that reasoning. In my heart, I always felt it was okay for me to ask God why. I was inquisitive as a child. I am inquisitive as an adult. I like to know the reasons behind certain things, or why certain things work and others do not. I believe it is a natural part of us to be inquisitive. To shut that down would seem abnormal to me.
What I have come to understand and realize for myself is this (and you do not have to agree. Everyone comes to their own understanding) God desires for us to ask Him questions, to get personal with Him, seek Him out. God does not mind our questions, because those questions lead to answers. That there is a difference between asking God questions and questioning God's motives, or rather doubting the veracity of God's actions. That's my observation based on my personal walk and relationship with the Father. You may conclude a different answer.
The underlying fact remains that God does not stop us from asking questions. To question what we have been taught, to seek out for ourselves the truth. Those questions that arise in us, lead us to a personal and intimate relationship with God.
People can and will teach us and tell us many things. However, it will never compare to what God wants to reveal to you for Himself. The things that God desires to tell you and open in your heart. The revelations of His word that is revelatory to you and only you; that special place inside of you, where you get to know God for yourself, and not only through another person's experience or revelation. When God reveals something to you personally?—it is yours and no one will be able to convince you otherwise. You will know—without reservation—what God has said and did. You own it. It is your personal revelation, knowledge, and understanding from the Father.
Getting personal with God is vital for the growth and development of our relationship and walk in the Lord. It is vital for our wellbeing. I say this because I have seen so many people wounded by the church, wounded by its leaders and false teachers and prophets. They are wounded so much; they no longer want anything to do with church or God.
It is vital that we develop an intimate, personal relationship with the Father. We must come to know God for ourselves. Whatever questions we may have, we must ask those questions and seek those answers. Too often, we have placed leaders/shepherds on a pedestal. When they fall, we often fall with them or become disillusioned with God. Our beliefs are altered, tainting every action we take moving forward.
God is waiting for you. He has the answers to your questions. The answers may not come in the way you were expecting, but they will come. God may not show up in the way you were expecting either, but He will show up. The only way to recognize Him is to get personal with Him; to have spent intimate time between you and God developing your personal walk.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. Life is not so much, what you make of it, as it is what you are believing. When you believe you deserve better, better will show up. We receive what we believe and what our hearts often comprehend. In order for comprehension to take place, we need to ask questions to gain an understanding. Ask God what you need to ask. Make it personal. This is your walk, your relationship, and God has all the answers. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
©2018. Ruthe Mcdonald. All Rights Reserved.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

"Dying to Live"


Reflections4Life October 21, 2018
“Dying to Live”
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Scripture Contemplation: Isaiah 43:19; 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 3… 
©Ruthe McDonald.

We are carrying too much hurt and pain. It is time to let it all go and begin the healing process. Let go. Forgive others. And forgive yourself. Look at every mistake as a lesson that needed to be learned. Give yourself room to grow. No one is perfect. We will screw up at times. Forgive yourself and keep it moving. Most importantly, it is time to die, to all the things that hurt you, harmed you, and got in the way of your blessings manifesting.
I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Allow the love of our heavenly Father wash all over you, causing those things in your life that need to die, find its final resting place; death to those habits, selfish ways, and the weight of guilt for mast mistakes. Be free this week in the love and forgiveness of our God.
It is time to die, Beloveds. Let that thought marinate for a moment. Okay. You have to be willing to die in order to live. Even nature shows us this. Seeds are planted, buried, and "dies" to its former self before fruit or a flower comes forth. Truly to live, to walk in the ordained abundance and promise that God has created within us, we have to put to death those things that hinder us. Old ways, bad habits, stinking thinking, a defeatist attitude, and all things like.
We have to die to our old selves before we can truly begin to live in our purpose. Our old ways can stagnate us. Rob us of a life of joy and peace. It will and can stifle creativity, innovation, and ambition. If you desire to walk in your greatness, to live life to its fullest, you cannot bring old habits and thoughts with you. They must die to make room for everything new. Just as those seeds die and shed the hard husks of their former selves to bring forth beautiful fruit; so must you. Die and shed the husks of your former self, and live—live life walking in your purpose.
What is holding you back today? Who is holding you back? Free yourself today from the idea that you cannot. Free yourself today from the lies that others have told you over the years. Those lies that said you were not good enough, smart enough, rich enough, good looking enough. All lies! Lies designed to hold you back, and keep you hostage to a barren and lonely place; the lies that have become baggage and living and breathing bondage around our hearts and minds.
Free yourself today from all the rhetoric and lies by believing what God says of you. There is so much greatness in you waiting to manifest. Speak positive affirmations to yourself and the atmosphere. Charge the air around you. Surround yourself with like-minded people and individuals that are already at the place you inspire to be.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. A journey before us leads to a beautiful place. However, there are multiple paths along this journey, leading to different experiences. Our choices in life determine our path. Yet, all paths lead to a final destination; a beautiful place. We only fail and miss the beautiful place if we give up during the journey and do not learn to die to those things that weigh us down. Defeats come when we stop believing and stop moving; even through the hardest of times. If you have to change course; choose a different path; then do so. Remember: die to everything that takes and does not add to your life. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
©2018. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

"Leaving Lodebar"


Reflections4Life October 14, 2018
“Leaving Lodebar”
“Then King David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.” 2 Samuel 9:5
Scripture Contemplation: 2 Samuel 9; 2 Samuel 16; Jeremiah 31:31; Psalm 90; Isaiah 61…
©Ruthe McDonald.

There are times in our lives when we want a do over. Let's face it; we can royally screw up sometimes. Make the most outrageous mistakes, and cause a lot of pain in the process. Thank God for the chance to begin again. There are things we will never be able to fix or repair. Some relationships will never be mended. However, God is granting us to leave behind the old, dry, barren places in our lives. God is asking us to look straight ahead. Look in the direction that He has placed before us. Look at the ordained path that will lead to the manifestation of our blessings, leaving Lodebar behind.
I decree that this week’s Reflections4Life will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Know and believe with all of your heart that your God has a special place for you at His table. At His table is an abundance of all that you need. This is your season to come out of Lodebar, a spiritual and physical space of drought, bareness, emptiness, and lack. It time sit at the Father’s table and receive all that God says is yours.
Beloved, Lodebar is a place of not enough. That place where dreams and visions often die or cannot be seen. It is a place where we slowly lose hope because so many things have not gone in our favor. It is a dry and crippling place. That place of living paycheck to paycheck, if you are fortunate to have employment. It is a place of broken promises and relationships, and a constant reminder of what you no longer have. It’s is time—way past time to leave Lodebar behind.
In the first book of Samuel, chapters 9-21, King David is looking for a member of King Saul’s house to bless. Despite what occurred between David and Saul, David respected Saul and loved Jonathon—King Saul’s son and David’s best friend. He wanted to show that love to anyone left in household of Saul. Mephibosheth was the one. He found living in Lodebar, crippled from an accident with his nanny, living beneath what his lineage called for. It was a desperate and barren place, especially for someone who was crippled and lived under the stigma of being King Saul’s grandson, and in fear of King David, wondering if his life would be taken because of who he was.
There are times in our life when we will find ourselves in a situation, not because of what we may have done but because of the actions of others in our lives. Perhaps parents, spouses, different relationships, that have left us in vulnerable positions and in a place where we feel stuck and unable to move away from; especially without assistance.
I realized a while ago, that though we may royally blow things, we and others, may have caused much hurt and pain in relationships, and have failed in our lives too many times to count; God can and will give us a reprieve. A chance to get things right, a chance to make the right choices, and the opportunity to leave Lodebar and walk in the promises and abundance He has ordained for our lives. David sought to restore Mephibosheth to his former lifestyle. He wanted to treat him with the respect and dignity that came with being the grandson of a King—no matter how much Saul had failed and gone mad.
One of the wonderful things about God is His power of restoration. As we start our lives over, God has the power to restore that, which was lost. To grant us a do over at the things we failed at miserably. He is bringing us from Lodebar to a place of abundance. Thank God for His second, third, fourth and fifth chances! It is by His mercies and goodness that we have not been destroyed by our foolishness or the foolishness of those around us but granted the opportunity to stand on our own and make responsible and respectable choices.
There are many of us spending too much time ruminating over the past, mistakes, and failures. We tend to be sidetracked by the things around us and can miss what is right before us. Beloved, it is time to look straight ahead. Look in the direction that God has placed before us. Look at the ordained path that will lead to the manifestation of our blessings and out of Lodebar.
Of course, this path is not simple! However, nothing worth having or accomplishing ever is. You can be certain that the enemy of our souls is waiting alongside that path to try and trip us up. It is a guarantee that he will do all that he can to make us fall, give up, get distracted and turn back. He can do none of these things successfully if we are fellowshipping with the Father and following His instructions, looking straight ahead. And should we fall? Then we get up, repent, and keep moving. We have to learn to forgive ourselves, learn, and grow from our experiences.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. Leave Lodebar behind! Do not look back or allow the sins of your bloodline keep you bound and hostage to a life of lowliness and despair; not when God says He has made a place for you at His table. Let the promises and word of God become your blinders, keeping you focus on the road ahead. Spend quality time in the presence of God, as He directs your path. Keep looking straight ahead with confidence, knowing that God has already answered your prayers. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
©2018. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

Sunday, October 07, 2018

"A Love Letter From God"


Reflections4Life October 7, 2018
“A Love Letter from God Revisited”
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17
Scripture Contemplation: Micha 7; Zephaniah 3; Malachi 1; John 3; Romans 8…
©Ruthe McDonald.
 
There are times when we have to rewind and remind ourselves of why we believe, stand for, fight and love the way we do. Beloveds, there is so much going on in our lives today. So much hurt, disappointment, and pain in the world, with emotions running over, leaving many wondering: Where is God? Why would God allow these things to happen? When will it all stop?
It is my sincerest pray today’s Reflections brings comfort and peace to your heart mind and soul. I decree it be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration. There is power in knowing and believing how much God loves you; especially when you are going through. Allow the love of God to consume you—fill every part of your heart and soul. Knowing and understanding His love can and will change things in a blink of an eye, however, you must hold on and not give up. Do not give up in the midst of the storm. Even at its worst and most painful, God is there and He will see you through.
God reminded of an earlier Reflection based upon a letter written a few years before. This morning, He spoke to my heart to share it once more, at this time. It was what I needed to hear, also, this morning. I pray it encourages and strengthens you as well.
A Love Letter from God
Oh, the power of the love of God. It is consuming. It is overwhelming. It is healing. It is phenomenal. It can be indescribable. But there is no doubt, that it is love—a powerful, consuming love.
A love letter from God is received when you have searched and questioned if there is a God. A love letter from God comes when you feel that there is nothing left for you. A love letter from God comes when you have been abandoned by all that you know and love. A love letter comes when you are in the valley of despair. A love letter even comes when you are on the mountain-top; filled with joy and wonder. A love letter from God comes when you have questions that need to be answered and when your heart has sought Him with completeness. A love letter from our Heavenly Father, comes when you desire the truth and the heart of God.
A love letter can be heard in the quietness of your supplication to the Father. You cannot miss the love letter when you set yourself to be in His presence. Permit me to share with you a letter of such...
To My Beloved,
It gives my heart extreme pleasure to shower you with my love. I know that there are times when you question if I exist, or if I love you at all. I love you. I love you unconditionally. I love you just as you are.
I've seen the struggles that you suffer. I see the pain that you are in. My heart aches for you. My beloved, I have not abandoned you; nor have I forsaken you. The prince of this world has set out to destroy and deceive you. To try and manipulate you. But remember: Greater am I in you, than he that is in this world.
Take courage. Stand strong and know that I love you with an everlasting love. Many have come to try and deceive you, and destroy your faith. But I have planted in you an incorruptible seed: my love. I have formed and fashioned you. I breathed into you, me. I made you in my image and I set you apart for greatness. So don't be fooled by the enemy's lies; it is only a trap to discourage you and to take your focus.
Beloved, I encourage you to remain focused. To be steadfast. Just as Christ overcame the world; so can you. I know it's difficult at times. I know that you grow weary. I know the evil that persists in this world. But I have sent you a comforter, My Spirit, that will lead and guide you and teach you what to do.
Many times I have spoken that the battle is not yours. Yet the adversary of your soul and of the Kingdom has convinced you that it is YOU that need to fight. No, my beloved. I will fight and have fought your battles. Your position is to pray, praise and worship. If I am lifted up, then I will draw all men unto me.
So many have left my flock. So many of you have been wounded by other sheep and shepherds that I have left to tend my flock. I am sorry for your pain and the wounds inflicted upon you. I'm sorry for the lies that have caused you to run. Know this my beloved: that I love you just the way you are. It is not you that I hate, but the sin that I abhor. It is not the addict that I hate—but the addiction. For it keeps you away from me. It is not the homosexual that I hate—but the act of homosexuality. For it was not my design. It is not the adulterer or fornicator that I hate—but the act of the sin. For it keeps you separated and opens doors to more evil, and causes wounds beyond belief. It is not the liar or the thief—but the act of lying and stealing. For no liar and thief shall enter into heaven. My beloved, it is not the sinner but the sinful acts that I hate. How can I not love and accept my creation? How can I not love you when I am in you? Yes, there is room at the Cross for all; but sin must take its rightful place—nailed to the Cross.
I can be the balm that heals your wounds and stabilizes your footing. You question my strength and love. My power, my strength, my love, is shown in my gift to you; the gift of my Son, Jesus the Christ—the Anointed One. I also gave a gift when I formed you: the gift of choice. You can choose to believe or not. You can choose to walk in righteousness or not. You have the power because I placed choice in your hands. And with this power comes responsibility.
I'm sorry about your disappointments. However, make no mistake, my beloved, that I have and am causing all things to work out for your good; for each and every one that loves me, and has believed on me; even when your path was dark and you could not see. I reward them that diligently seek me. And those that stand in faith and have taken my word and hidden it in their hearts.
I know that you struggle. I know that you have pain. I know that you question my love for you and how I can love you so, and allow the world to be in such disarray. I know. But had you been meditating on my word, spending time in my presence, then you will know that this all, I have prepared you for. This, I have told you of. I warned you that the heart of man would wax evil. That there would be wars and rumors of wars. I warned you that there would be deceivers coming in my name. I told you that there would be perilous times. But I also told you, that I would be with you. I would be with you always.
My love for you does not stop because you are suffering. My love for you has not ceased because you have suffered a loss. My love for you grows abundantly with each and every day. You are a part of me and I have called you by name.
It does not matter how many times you fall—get up! And trust me to lead you. There is one thing that no one else truly knows but me: Your heart. I know your heart. I know your soul. I know your cries. I know the fears. Now it's time for you to know true love.
Seek me. Seek early. Seek me each and every day. Spend time in my presence. I've missed you. I've wanted to talk with you for so long. Will you open your heart? Will you open the door? I've been knocking for a while. Just know: I never tire. So I will keep knocking. I will keep loving. I will never leave. All you have to say is Yes, Lord.
I love you,
Your Heavenly Father
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you.  Let the love of God consume your heart, mind, and soul. Seek the Father each day. Invite Him into those hidden places where all the fears and scars and wounds are. Allow His love to envelop you and bring complete healing. God is waiting just for you. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing.
Original ©2015, ©2018. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.