​It’s amazing to me how I sense the incoming of the month of Elul every single year. I never have to look on the calendar; my spirit knows! I’m drawn to this month and even grateful for it because it always draws ME to YOU, Lord. Filled with the knowledge of my iniquities and my lack of time spent with You, I usually enter Elul on my knees, sorrowful and wanting to come back to You. I have been so consumed by the world. I think it is Joel Richardson’s new online class that is awakening my spirit and my soul again to the far greater, bigger picture of what is really going on. Volcanoes are erupting, exploding into great fire and lava, all over the globe – and thus earthquakes are also rumbling along the great fault lines. It’s as if one can FEEL the beginnings of birth pains, the onset of the earth’s demise.
 
This morning I read in Isaiah 51 and deep spoke to deep as I read the words of the LORD. “My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm (Yeshua) will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.” (Isaiah 51:5-6)
 
Oh, it is such a magnificent, terrifying picture of what is beginning to take place in both Heaven and Earth! But what joy, what shalom, what promise we can take to our hearts as we see His Word being fulfilled with our very eyes! Both the heavens and the earth vanish BECAUSE it is all corrupted and must be made new by the Hands of the One who created the heavens and the earth in the beginning! If we can grasp this, we will understand that the true, great Gospel of the Kingdom is this: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS! As Peter exhorted the people in Solomon’s Colonnade, “Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Yeshua. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to RESTORE EVERYTHING as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.” (Acts 3:19-21)
 
At the end of this dark age, when Satan makes his last great attempt to wrest control from the God of the Universe and deceive all its people, he will be bound in chains and the fullness of the Gospel will be brought forth. We can find understanding of this glorious mystery in Ephesians 1:9-10: “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Messiah, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment  - TO BRING ALL THINGS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH TOGETHER UNDER ONE HEAD, EVEN MESSIAH.”
 
Will we actually see all this take place in our lifetimes? Maybe. But for me, it’s enough to be coming into the greater understanding of this marvelous mystery, which changes fear into rejoicing, transforms anxiety into blissful shalom!

This is indeed a strange year for me. Often it's as if all I can do is get up with an aching body, sip a cup of coffee and begin to move around, wondering what I should do with my day.  It is a relief this morning to awaken to cool breezes after such a siege of scorching hot weather. I go out on my covered porch and read in my daily devotional. Today the Lord says this: "If I don't want you to do anything other than to trust Me and find peace, you must believe that I know what I'm doing. Let go and trust Me."

Oh my, what an on-time word! I look back over yesterday's devotion, which says, "Keep your speech in agreement with what I have declared to be true in My Word. Speak words of life and light." My heart zeroes in on these two exhortations from the Lord and it causes me to reflect on what my words and thoughts have so often been in the past few months:
"I look so OLD!"
"My body aches because I'm getting old."
"My ankles hurt, what if they don't heal?"
"I'm so tired. By 4:00 pm I have to nap."
"My income won't be enough."
"I'm not sure what God wants me to be doing."

I cannot even remember a time when I've been this tired and low-energy. I feel certain that it's because I've not recovered from the YEARS of stress, exhaustion and caregiving. I do know it has taken a great toll on my body and my mind. BUT I SHOULD NOT BE SPEAKING IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT! 

A dear sister confessed to me last week that the Lord convicted  her of speaking in agreement with old age. Now I have a second witness about that! I must change my thinking and my speech. I wonder if there are any others out there reading this blog who need to hear this. 

What if God doesn't want me to DO in this season?  What if He really DOES just want me to be still and trust Him for my future? What if my brain needs quiet? What if I could look in the mirror and see what YOU see, my Bridegroom?  Tell me, what do YOU see?

I waited. Eventually He answered:
"I see love.
​I see beauty.
I see tenderness.
I see weariness.
I see some fear
I see some pain

Embrace this time, My beloved one. Embrace the quiet. Find gratitude in the blessings. Rest now, little one, rest in My embrace. The month of Elul is coming and I will be out in the field, arms outstretched, joy unbridled! It is the season of purification. You've been through a great fire of purification already. Now, in this season, you  must learn the lesson of aligning your speech with My Word - My proclamations of Love over you - My truth about you! I am the God who sees you. You must learn to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Me. (2 Cor. 10:5) 

His loving Voice continued:
"Speak health to your body!
Speak peace to your heart!
Speak joy to your sadness!
Speak life to your bones!

You will be restored, my bride. Your ankles will heal. Dare to trust Me and believe. If...for now...I don't want you to do anything but trust Me and find peace, YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"