Discern
In my studying of scriptures, I noticed a lot of emphasis and sometimes caution on how we as believers should be very DISCERNING. The Collins Dictionary defines DISCERN as “to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend”. For me, to be discerning is becoming aware of what is happening in and around you and also, understanding the source of that thing.
Let me attempt to break this down for you, a lot has been happening around me lately and I have to tell you that they are all good stuff. Anytime I think of something, as my spirit prays for it even without me uttering the words out loud, it happens or somehow I receive it. I think about people that I haven’t connected with in months or even years and in less than 24 hours, they are calling or texting me. These occurrences were beginning to disturb me but I was led to various scriptures which explained what happens when our spiritual senses are activated and elevated. I used the word “disturbed” because I was forced to be careful what I think and desire for myself and others. We truly are spiritual beings and I am recognizing that each day.
1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
That scripture is so true. The natural me was interpreting everything as either a coincidence or as some may call it, luck. My dear friend who’s reading this blog, “coincidence” and “luck” do not exist in the life of a believer. We are spiritual beings and everything that happens is already orchestrated in the spirit before it manifests in the physical realm. When you have this mindset ingrained in you, you will become more discerning. Discernment can save you so much trouble in life. You will avoid errors and situations that cause unwarranted delays and mishaps in your life. A discerning life is one filled with divine wisdom and knowledge from God. You perceive what is at work and you act immediately. Spiritual Ignorance is a topic I am going to reserve for another day but can I tell you that most of us have suffered and continue to suffer because we are not spiritually intelligent? I know this because I was a victim of spiritual ignorance for a very long time and I am grateful for the illumination of the word of God in my life which is now beginning to correct my spiritual lens and awareness. The missed opportunities, the people we drove out of our lives because we lacked discernment to know that they were part of our destinies, the unnecessary afflictions and torment we got ourselves into because we didn’t see all the signs and warnings God was giving us. The list goes on but even just calling them out wearies me.
The good news is, God is one who gives mega second chances. Yes - He does. When you give up your own triune (Me, Myself and I) and take on the divine one, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), he starts to shift your focus and awakens your spirit man. What seems like foolishness to others is wise to you because you can discern what God is doing through that. When people are running out you will be running in. You see light even in the darkest corners and you begin to fly over mountains instead of waiting for them to be demolished.
This week, make a conscious effort to DISCERN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
When I Think Of TIME
TIME is the greatest mystery and every day, I am amazed by the reality of it. There are over 8 billion humans on earth and yet, none of us have the same fingerprints. We have different features, different races, different families so many different things but the one thing we all have in common is TIME. One Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty (1440) minutes each day. No one has more and no one has less of it. The wealthiest people in the world have 1440 minutes and so does the poorest man who can barely afford clean water to drink. I heard someone say that the only currency we have in common is TIME. This is the ultimate truth! Time is both a physical currency and a spiritual one. You can lose time, and you can gain time. Have you heard of people saying “I just need to buy some TIME” or “I am biding my TIME”?
I’ve been very fascinated about the mystery of time lately and it’s definitely needed for the season that I find myself in. A great man of God said that you can gain everything that you lose, even people, but you can’t gain back TIME. If you lose a car, chances are, you can work and buy another one, but once TIME is spent, it is gone forever. If you buy another car and do not have TIME left in your life span to enjoy it, you have really lost. What’s even mysterious is that, any date you live through will never repeat itself in your lifetime ever. TIME is unstoppable, hence the saying that “TIME and tide waits for no man”. Which means no one can control or stop TIME. As people, we should always be moving forward because time is constantly running, not waiting or pausing for you and I. You can rectify so many things, even mistakes but you cannot rectify TIME.
In Genesis 41, Pharaoh had a dream and what Joseph interpreted was a revelation to all of us that TIME can eat TIME. A TIME of plenty can be eaten by a TIME of famine. Joseph by God’s wisdom advised the Egyptians to discern the seasons (Times) that will be coming for them and how they need to preserve and save so that they can sustain themselves. TIME is the greatest loss to man, not things, not people but TIME. With this reality in mind, it is so imperative for us to cherish every passing minute. We have to take an inventory of how we spend our TIME because our results in life are a reflection of what we spend our TIME on. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after spending TIME with the Lord, the bible says that his face was so radiant he had to cover it with a veil, (Exodus 34). What Moses spent his TIME on was reflecting in his appearance. Just like you and I, if we spend our TIME in the gym, our tight muscles will let people know what we are spending our lives on.
The revelation of the mystery of TIME has caused a shift in my life. I am so careful now how I use my TIME. Lord knows that I have misused and abused some TIME. There were seasons (TIMES) in my life that I did not discern and thus I missed greatly BUT, God is a restorer of TIME. If He created it then He is the only one who can control it, pause it or stop it. Hey, He stopped the sun for Joshua - yup He did. Read Joshua 10. He halted TIME for him. Based on this knowledge, I've been praying fervently for Him to restore my time and you can pray with me as well:
Joel 2:25-27 AMP
25 “And I will compensate you for the years (TIME)
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust—
My great army which I sent among you.
26 “You will have plenty to eat 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.
27 “And you shall know [without any doubt] that I am in the midst of Israel [to protect and bless you],
And that I am the Lord your God,
And there is no other;
My people will never be put to shame
I declare it is so and so it is in Jesus’ name! AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
I Had My Plans Until God Showed Up
Oh yes I did have my plans! Do you know the downside of an A-type person? You plan everything and you really do not appreciate disruptions. Well, I am the A++ type of a person and that means my brain sees it and it already plans it from the foundation to roofing in a split second. If and only if you knew how many things my brain processes in a minute, you would definitely not want to live there. During my personal retreat in December and early January, I had the opportunity to take an inventory of my life and I decided to look at the last decade of my life. Well, let’s just say it got me emotional for at least 24 hours.
I was married, I have a beautiful son, God took me from waiting on a paycheck to going to fish and also baking my own bread. I saw a potential that I didn’t even know I carried. I went through a life-threatening experience and had a major surgery in which God showed me His miraculous healing power (I have no single scar on my body to show you what I had endured - He made sure of that). I had plans for happily ever after, for better or worse and until death do us apart, 2 more beautiful and healthy children, building an empire and as the plans were, by now, I should have been traveling the world and enjoying the rewards of my labor. Oh there’s so much more - my vision board will scare you but they were all on track to happen. The only problem was, I didn’t take it to God because honestly, none of them included Him or anything to do with His kingdom. I have shared with you how I grew up in a house of Ministry and wanted nothing to do with it. I conveniently kept God at bay even though He was the one making everything happen for me. I am hardworking, diligent, loyal, committed and very disciplined so hey, I thought those were just what were working on my behalf.
Then it all came crashing down and boy, did it all crash. I’ll spare you the horrid details because I don’t need you feeling sorry for me. It was my initiation process in leading me to Jesus Christ and what He had written in my book before I came here to earth. Did you know that I had heard Proverbs 19:21 AMP several times and I really didn’t give any meaning to it?
“Many plans are in a man’s mind, But it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).”
Let’s just say that this scripture is as real as it reads. All the plans I had were really wasting God’s agenda over my life. I can imagine Him getting to His wits end when He saw that if He left me alone, I’d be completely gone and then He’d had to orchestrate a whole intervention that would have been quite unbearable. Even in this phase of brokenness that I endured, I thought I would not survive it - the pain, the heartache, the fears, the betrayal, neglect, humiliation - you just name it. Like Job lamented in Job 32:25 KJV, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me”. If Job were a female, that would be me. Everything I feared in life I met so now, there’s nothing else left to fear. Not even death. Little did I know God allowed it all to happen to bring me closer to Him and get His attention and He surely got my attention really well. He now has me at a place where I am totally dependent on Him. It’s a lesson I will not want you to endure so if you have the opportunity to include God in your life now, please do it ASAP!
Truth is, He might not do that with everyone - our assignments on earth differ from each other but one thing is certain, His plans and purposes for your life are what will prevail in the end. My brain still makes plans by the way, it’s a characteristic inherent in me and He knows that. Only thing is, after going through all the time to make the plans, I throw it all back to Him and say, “nevertheless, let Your will be done and not mine”. It has been a rewarding experience thus far so I decided to burn all my ships and the lifeboats and life jackets. Where He leads I follow, when He says stay, I stay. When He says NO, I know it’s a NO and when He doesn’t say anything, I know to wait until He’s ready to speak. Don’t get me wrong, It’s not a robotic relationship that I have with Christ because I am a tough negotiator and things have to be tangible for me, including Him and His glory over my life. Maybe to you, He is just a spirit but to me, He is a spirit and can also be tangible to me. If he walked on earth, then He still has the capability to make me see Him as real as He can be. He knows my form so He deals with me in a way only He can. Ultimately, He wins all the time but He gives me passes too which I don’t hesitate to take advantage of.
Whatever your plans are, let me nudge you to bring it ALL to Him and ask Him to do what He wants to do with your life.
XOXO,
Lady Abena.