There is restoration in God's presence

Joel 2:25-26 (NKJV): So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust...You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

As I was seeking the Lord the other day, I saw a vision of a big patch of wounds on the forehead of a person's face. It didn't look good, and I didn't like it. I then prayed and asked the Lord what this means. Soon after, the Lord began to give assurance that He is here to re-constitute the face, and to restore the face to its original beauty.

That's when the Lord spoke these words:
"No matter how bad or terrible your 'wounds' may be, there is hope for restoration. Look to Me, and receive from Me, because your time for restoration is now!"

It's then that I realized this vision doesn't necessarily have to do with one's face, but rather, it speaks of any area in one's life that has 'defaced', 'deformed', 'deteriorated', or 'declined'.

Back to Joel 2:25, the word 'restore' here is 'shalam' in Hebrew, and it means 'to make complete, to make good, to be full again'. Indeed, whatever area in your life that has been 'eaten up' by the enemy, the Lord is here to 'shalam' you, and to make you whole again!

Another time this word 'shalam' appears in the Scripture is found in Isaiah 57:15-18 that says, 'For thus says the High and Lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry... I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts (solace/assurance) to him, and to his mourners."'

People of God, here's the key to receive the fullness of His restoration for you! See the word 'dwell' here? The Scripture says the Lord dwells with him who has a contrite and humble spirit. This word 'dwell' is 'shakan' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'stay, lodge, inhabit, rest, remain'. I can therefore also say 'The Lord remains with him who has a contrite and humble spirit'. In other words, His presence remains with the humble, i.e. those who are yielded and surrendered to Him. And the next thing you see is His healing, His leading, and His restoration!

In Luke 6:6-10, the Scripture says, 'Now it happened on Sabbath, that Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered...  And He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other'.

Here, 'right hand' speaks of 'the work of your hand', and the restoration that happened can also mean God restoring the work of your hand. By the way, the word 'restore' here is 'apo-kathisthemi' in Greek, meaning 're-constitute (in health, or in any area), re-appoint, re-designate, re-make, re-set'.

In Mark 8:22-25, the Scripture says, 'Then Jesus came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly'.

Here, 'a blind man seeing' can also mean God restoring His vision for your life. In short, restoration is turning all the 'de' to 're', returning you to whatever God has meant (purposed) for you to be!

People of God, just as you have seen in all the examples above, the Lord is saying your time for restoration is now! 

What are some of the restoration you need now? 

It may be due to:

- loss of trust (let the Lord restore people's trust in you);

- loss of rights (let the Lord restore what actually belonged to you);

- loss of health (let the Lord restore divine health/strength to you);

- loss of ability (let the Lord restore the work of your hands);

- loss of vision (let the Lord restore His vision for your life).

Last but not least, how about restoring your understanding of God's love for you?

Romans 8:31-35 says, 'What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?'

Romans 8:37-39 continues, 'Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord'.

Therefore, no matter how badly you have 'blown it' in life, know that there is hope for your restoration. To man, it may be impossible; but to God, all things are possible!

Being in His presence is simply knowing that God is present (not absent) with you, and God is for you. And just as written in Isaiah 57:15-18, let us all return to His presence, because in His presence, there is the fullness of His restoration for each of us. Amen!

There is protection in God's presence

The Lord gave me a dream the other day. In the dream, I was in my father's house, and there was a commotion outside in the streets with huge groups of motorbikers looting and causing trouble. But we in the family were kept safe and protected, as long as we stayed inside the house. The looters and trouble-makers somehow did not try to enter our house.

Every time I have a dream about my father's house (the house where I grew up as a child), I would take note, because to me, my father's house has always been a 'picture' of 'my Abba Father's house', or 'being in God's presence'. 

This time, as I woke up from the dream, I immediately knew it has to do with believing for God's divine protection. As long as I stayed 'inside the house', I was kept safe and protected! This reminds me of Psalm 91:1-4 (NKJV) that says, 'He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.'

Indeed, God is assuring us that He is still a faithful Protector, no matter what happens around us. Trust in Him, who is your refuge and your fortress. And never let anyone make you waver in your trust in Him! The word 'dwell' in Psalm 91:1 is an interesting word. In Hebrew, it is 'yashab', which can mean 'stay, remain, continue, sit in quietness, return'. Do you notice the word 'return' here? I can also therefore say 'he who returns to Abba Father's 'house' shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty'!

Looking at what's happening around the world at the moment, there is no doubting that we are living in an increasingly dangerous and perilous times (Luke 21:25-28, 2 Timothy 3:1-5). Be it an increase in natural disasters or in crime, there seems to be no place that is particularly safe in this world! No, not even in some of the most liveable cities in the world! The truth is there's only one really safe place to be, and it's none other than being in God's presence! 

The word 'cover' in Psalm 91:4 is another interesting word. In Hebrew, it is 'sawkak', which means 'protect, defend, join together (with you)'. This verse can therefore mean the Lord is joining together (with you) for your protection. In other words, He wants to be involved in it together, just as a good earthly parent would for his (or her) beloved child! 

When Jesus died for you on the cross, He already had in His mind to carry your troubles and sufferings, so you can have shalom peace now. Jeremiah 29:11 says, 'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope'.

People of God, know that God's will is (and will always be) for your safety and protection. Let no one make you think otherwise. Because He is a good Abba Father to you (Psalm 34:8). The Word of God says so. Trust in Him therefore for your divine protection, and continue to stay in His presence, because that's where the enemy cannot touch you. Amen!

Treasure God's presence more than anything on earth!

The Lord spoke these words as we crossed into the Hebrew year 5779:
"Look to Me, and bring the 'ark' back! For this is the year I will entrust you with My greater glory and My greater things! For you are entering a time of greater exploits, greater blessings, and greater victories in your lives, just as David was!"

And He spoke further:
"As I have done for David when he became king, I will do the same for those who treasure My presence more than anything on earth! But this is a key time to let go! Let go of those past struggles and defeats! Let go of those past hurts and betrayals! Let go of your Saul's time, and enter into your David's time!"

2 Samuel chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8 are the key chapters to begin with in this new year. As you walk into a brand new spiritual year in your life, begin as David did when he first became king! One of the first things David did (upon reigning as king over all of Israel and Judah) was to bring the ark of the Lord back to its rightful place! The 'ark' here, of course, speaks of 'God's presence, God's glory, or Jesus Himself''.

As the ark of the Lord was being brought to the City of David, 2 Samuel 6:14-15 says, 'Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet'.

It is very interesting to see David wearing a linen ephod here, instead of the king's royal robe. After all, he had already been anointed a king, and could have just 'acted like a king'! But no, he was in the streets, dancing his heart out before the Lord, and worshiping the Lord with gladness! What other people say didn't matter to him at all, because he knew nothing else would be more important than the Lord Himself!

A linen ephod was customarily worn by a priest those days; and a 'priest' is always a 'picture' of 'servanthood', not 'kingship'. And here lies what's truly inside David's heart -  a heart that acknowledged there's a greater King whom he serves - the King of kings, the Lord of lords!

You see, David could have celebrated 'himself' as king, but instead, he chose to celebrate 'the Lord' as king! In other words, he treasured God's presence more than anything else on earth, and yes, even his own 'kingship'! No wonder the Lord began to entrust him with greater glory and greater things from that day onward!

Beloved of God, as you begin this new year 5779, you too are like the 'David' of today! Begin just as David did when he reigned as king over all of Israel and Judah! Begin by celebrating the King of kings today, and acknowledge Him as the King over ALL areas of your life! Let go of those past struggles and defeats! Let go of those past hurts and betrayals! Let go of your Saul's time, and enter into your David's time! And declare that you too are walking into greater exploits, greater blessings, and greater victories, just as David was (2 Samuel 8:1-18). Amen!

Being entrusted with His glory and greater things

I released these words to a congregation I ministered to recently:
"Get ready for Me to entrust you with My glory, and the greater things that you have not imagined yet! For you are entering a time of greater blessing and greater victory! Many will see My blessings so real in your lives, just as many have seen My blessings so real in Obed-Edom's life! Look to Me and follow Me, and I will bring it to pass!"

We are crossing the threshold to enter into the Hebrew year 5779! Shanah Tovah! Have a good year! And as you cross over into a new year of the Lord for you, get ready for His greater glory and for greater things to happen to you!

Never mind if in the past season, you have been obscured, sidelined, or even misunderstood by others, because the Lord says things are going to start changing around you! In fact, the year ahead is a year He is entrusting many things to you, even things you have not imagined yet!

Note: The word 'entrust' can be defined as 'put (something) into someone's care/stewardship'. 

The past weeks have been a time the Lord was calling His people to humble themselves under His mighty hand. I have written about this last week. Pride is very subtle, and we often do not even know there's an element of pride in our lives. Even if we do, we may not want to admit it! That's when we need the Holy Spirit more than ever. We need Him to speak to us and work in us. We need Him to correct us and guide us. Greater blessing comes when we allow Him to do His work in us. Jesus says, "Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)

Let's go to 2 Samuel chapter 6 now, and we shall look at someone named Obed-Edom. In 2 Samuel 6:9-10, the Scripture says, 'David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite'.

Here's the background. Soon after becoming king over all Israel and Judah, David wanted to bring the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem. In our context, the ark of the Lord here is a 'picture' of 'the glory of the Lord, the presence of the Lord, i.e. Jesus Himself'. It was a good intention, but it was not done correctly (in the way the Lord had commanded it). Instead of sanctifying themselves first and having the Levites carry the ark on their shoulders by its poles, they set the ark on a wheel cart; and that's how they brought it out of the house of Abinadab (2 Samuel 6:3). Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were tasked with guiding the cart - Ahio in front, and Uzzah behind. As they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark. God's anger was aroused because of Uzzah's irreverent act, and He struck him. Uzzah died then and there (2 Samuel 6:3-7).

David was terrified, and the plans to bring the ark into Jerusalem had to be aborted. David decided he would not move the ark to Jerusalem for the time being, and it was then that he entrusted the care of the ark to Obed-Edom. Interestingly, this name Obed-Edom was never mentioned anywhere in the Scripture prior to this ark incident, and little was known about him. But you do get a clue from his name. 'Obed' here is from the word 'abad' in Hebrew, meaning 'to serve humbly, or to worship', whereas 'Edom' is a nickname of Esau, the older twin brother of Jacob. 'Obed-Edom' therefore speaks of 'a person who has been concealed, unknown, and unrecognized by others; but one who has been humbly serving and worshiping the Lord faithfully all these while'. In short, he was a man of humility and faithfulness. And now, his time out of obscurity had finally arrived!

2 Samuel 6:11-12a says, 'The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now it was told King David, saying, "The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of the Lord."' Indeed, blessings follow wherever the 'ark' goes! Obed-Edom 'housed' the 'glory of the Lord', and greater things began to happen in (and around) his life! You see, the blessings in one's life will never go unnoticed! Others will see it so real, and they will know the Lord is with him/her! And so it was with Obed-Edom! And when David heard of it, he came and brought up the ark of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem with gladness! (2 Samuel 6:12b)

One may ask, why was the 'blessing' not evident when the ark was kept in Abinadab's house, but was so evident when the ark was kept in Obed-Edom's house? The answer is simple. I believe it was because Obed-Edom treasured the ark! It is the same today for all of us. How much do we treasure the glory of the Lord and the presence of the Lord in our lives?

In fact, Obed-Edom treasured the ark so much that when the time came to move the ark from his house to Jerusalem, Obed-Edom chose to follow the ark! He actually had a choice. He could have stayed where he was, but he chose to move with the ark! You see, his desire for the Lord caused him to do whatever it took to be close to the Lord! The Scripture tells us that he later became a doorkeeper for the ark, as he continued to be a worshiper of the Lord! (1 Chronicles 15:24, 1 Chronicles 16:1-5)

And finally, 1 Chronicles 26:4-6 says, 'The sons of Obed-Edom were Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad, Joah, Sacah, Nethanel, Ammiel, Issachar, Peulthai: for God blessed him. Also to Shemaiah his son, were sons born who governed their fathers' houses, men of great ability'. Not only Obed-Edom was greatly blessed, his whole family (even the generation to come) was greatly blessed too! Let it be so for your life, your household, and all that you put your hands on, as you look ahead to a new year! Hallelujah!