En Gedi; The Secret Place

Trade your personal agendas for a heart that is abandoned. This is the only way to discover fullness of life and freedom in the Lord.

“Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life. When your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit you hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:16-17 TPT

Are you willing to let the Holy Spirit hinder you?

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV

What has chasing after the things of this world done for you?

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].”

Matthew 6:24 AMP

“If the Spirit is the source of our life, we must also allow the Spirit to direct every aspect of our lives.”

Galatians 5:25 TPT

The upside-down kingdom doesn't make sense from the worldly perspective. But I've found that Your way is better so let not my plans hinder Yours God.

The way that we spend time with God directly impacts what we can do for His kingdom and how effective we are in ministry. Spending time with Him causes us to be surefooted (confident and competent), as we stay in step with Him at all times.

I see serving/ministry/moving in the calling as a time where I simply report for duty “Here I am for You to use God”. This causes His yoke to be easy and His burden to be light because I’ve realised that it has always about Him and never about me. The outcome of our labour is based on His sovereignty and not our own abilities.

“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””

Matthew 11:30 NKJV

“Yet we don’t see ourselves as capable enough to do anything in our own strength, for our true competence flows from God’s empowering presence. He alone makes us adequate ministers who are focused on an entirely new covenant. Our ministry is not based on the letter of the law but through the power of the Spirit. The letter of the law kills, but the Spirit pours out life.”

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 TPT 

How are you spending time with God and how do you think God can use that to overflow onto others?

Worship is based not on feelings and favoured circumstances. It is about giving God what is due, what He is worth. Know your reasons, purpose, and what offering you are bringing to the altar. Choosing to exalt God in our prison circumstances is the loudest praise we can give. What is your costly everything?

“Paul and Silas, undaunted, prayed in the middle of the night and sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened to their worship. Suddenly, a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. All at once every prison door flung open and the chains of all the prisoners came loose.”

Acts 16:25-26 TPT 

“Then David danced before the Lord with all his might… David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight.…”

II Samuel 6:14, 21-22 NKJV

“But I will rejoice even if my life is poured out like a liquid offering to God over your sacrificial and surrendered lives of faith.”

Philippians 2:17 TPT

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Read More: Luke 21:1-4 and Luke 7:37-38

Don't despise these small beginnings because every thing adds to the next. Be faithful in the little and God will give you the much. Then upon stewarding the much well, even more will be given because that becomes the little; a continual compounding journey. Consistent yeses causes what was once impossible to be possible, and even… easy.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”

Zechariah 4:10 NLT

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 6:33-34 NKJV

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

Psalms 119:105 NKJV

Sacrifices... toughie sometimes. But when God challenges and convicts us to give something to Him, it is always for our good. This offering story has been my most costly, yet most rewarding one!

New fruitfulness in terms of:

1. Having the time and capacity to serve more

2. Kingdom friendships and community

3. Freedom to answer every call and make pivotal decisions

4. Identity

“He noticed a very poor widow who dropped two small copper coins in the offering box.”

Luke 21:2 TPT

“For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.””

Luke 21:4 NLT

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.”

Proverbs 31:25-26 NLT

Discipline provides structure and freedom. When you seek God first at the start of your day, you'll have what it takes to live the rest of your day well, with a fully-fed spirit and increased capacity.

“Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.”

Proverbs 4:25 TPT

“You were running [the race] well; who has interfered and prevented you from obeying the truth?”

Galatians 5:7 AMP

“And he must be hospitable [to believers, as well as strangers], a lover of what is good, sensible (upright), fair, devout, self-disciplined [above reproach—whether in public or in private].”

Titus 1:8 AMP

Anyway, my personal Instagram handle is hzl.hn (if you'd like to connect with me!)

It's been about 2 years since I first started journalling and it is now such a necessity in my life!

It helps me:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

“Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].”

Philippians 4:8 AMP

“Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 TPT

I used to struggle with a lot of performative fears and feelings of inadequacy... BIG time. But we just need to acknowledge our weaknesses and give God access to help us. He perfects our faith as we take action. Breakthrough and sure-footedness comes! Lay it all down, whatever you have as an offering, there's no waste at the altar.

“Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”

James 2:22 NKJV

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

"Come lay your broken dreams at the altar

And every victory at the altar

Fear and anxiety cannot live here

There's no waste at the altar

Let your heart sing out and tell Him you love Him

Don't make it perfect, just let it be honest

He can use anything, sit back and watch Him

There's no waste at the altar"

Biblical answers aside, I've experienced real change... lasting transformation that I know couldn't have been attained by my own strength. I used to be angry, bitter, depressed, had anxiety, lacked love, lacked joy... the list goes on. Now, I live with unexplainable peace, true contentment, freedom, joy, rest, security... the list goes on and on as God continues show up daily!

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 3:23 NKJV

“that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

John 3:15-17 NKJV

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

The best part is that salvation is FREE. So claim it!

“He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

John 15:2, 4 NLT

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Romans 8:28-29 NKJV