The Season of Favor

For several weeks the phrase, “A Season of Favor” has been ringing in my mind, and I have been keenly aware of the bursting forth of new LIFE in nature as winter gives way to spring (even though the Northeast is getting another dose of winter this week!)  In perfect orchestration, blossoms and flowers explode on cue, inviting us to come out of the confines of a long winter, shed our dowdy grays, and join the celebration!   

Look around you: Winter is over;    the winter rains are over, gone!  Spring flowers are in blossom all over.    The whole world's a choir—and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest    with sweet arpeggios.  Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed,    and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms.

(Song of Solomon 2:11-12 The Message)

The earth is giving us a visual of God’s Favor in our lives, but the dead needs to be shed!  

What do you need to shed from the past winters of your life?  What are your winter patterns?  

Lately, and thankfully, I have been taking my old thought patterns captive.  Just this morning I was reminded of how things have turned out in the past, and there was a temptation to return to the familiar, cozy, winter blah pattern.  The voices of winter telling me to believe that things will turn out as they always have - so just give in now.  

The truth of today, and our futures will only be found by BREAKING OUT of the patterns of the past, and choosing to leave the false comforts of winter behind.  It is a NEW season!  REJOICE!    

One of my favorite verses about Favor is Psalm 5:12 (NKJV)

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

I often pray that God will surround me with a shield of favor!  But there is more!  Just recently I focused on the  preceding verse, Psalm 5:11:

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend [cover] them;
Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.

I have a choice every day and in every situation.  If I.......

• REJOICE
• TRUST GOD
• BE JOYFUL

THEN I am surrounded by a shield of God’s Favor!  And I am a magnet for good things - and a good man!  

Take a few minutes, ask God to show you what the winter patterns are in your mind, and shed them.  Open your hearts and minds - give Jesus your doubts, discouragements, rejections, and unbelief.  BREAK OUT your new Springtime garments of celebration!  When the winter-blahs try to return, say, “NO!  I am not going there again.  Today is a NEW day!  I rejoice and put my trust in God!  I am surrounded by FAVOR as a shield!”  

"You have turned my mourning into JOYFUL DANCING!  You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with JOY, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent!!"  

AMEN!  [so be it!]”  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012

He's Got This!

New York!  New York!  

A few weeks ago, on my way to a family event in Washington DC, I stopped in New York City for a potentially life changing meeting.  Giving one of your creations to a celebrity can go either way - either life stays the same, or it is changed dramatically.  Suddenly.  

As you can imagine, leaving my makeup case in my car, in Denver, and then my new coat in the taxi (because it was 75 and sunny in NYC), on top of meeting a friend who would give one of my creations to the assistant of a celebrity, there was plenty of opportunities to WORRY!  

BUT GOD!  Two of my top 10 favorite words in the bible.  

I don’t often listen to hear God whispering to me, but on this trip I heard Him speaking to my heart, spirit and mind, 

“I’ve Got This!”  

• Wondering if I might miss my plane, “I’ve Got This!” 
• Realizing my make-up case was in Denver, “I’ve Got This!” 
• Sad that I had lost my beautiful new coat, “I’ve Got This!” 
• And wondering about my future, and would the celebrity like my creation and then be seen with it, “I’ve Got This!” 

Every time worry beckoned me to hop on that train, 

“I’ve Got This!” 

The verse given to me before my trip by a praying friend, and then again this morning, was Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly ABOVE all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us....”

And He did just that - exceedingly, abundantly above - and He is not finished yet!  

I went to a department store to purchase a makeup thing-or-two, and the lady at the counter gave me the BEST samples!  Surprise abundance! Everything I could possibly need, and more.  It was Exceedingly, Abundantly Above!  

The taxi driver brought my coat to my hotel, in his personal car, with his family along for the ride!  Exceedingly, Abundantly Above!

And the celebrity, no word yet, but the one thing I do know, Almighty God is able, and He is working ALL things together for good!  

This Easter week, rather than allowing the Springtime, full of romance, remind you of what is lacking in your life, return to a place of expectancy in the Love and Power of Almighty God!  

He’s got it!  He’s got YOU! and suddenly, your life will change forever.  

I pray for you, and together lets pray for all the people God is calling into a Kingdom Marriage, including our future marriage partners:  

“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in.  

And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. 

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”  Ephesians 3:14-21, The Message

AMEN!  [so be it!]”  

Expecting to be amazed ~

Barbara

© Barbara Nelson – 2012