Day 34: May They Be One

May They be One, Just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You: Performance or Sensitivity, Relationship, Unity?

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me

Acts 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being

I recently spent time at Ellel for a Restoration Week.  It was probably the most real I have ever been with myself.  At the beginning of our church’s 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting, we were challenged with the “Need for Brokenness to be Revived”—tilling up our lives to bring forth a harvest of righteousness and to see if any stones remain that are hindering growth.  The Lord, my Shepherd, had already begun to plow up my heart by raising up relationship tensions, feeling of inadequacy and recognition that I lived with fear of authority most of my working life.  

Restoration week helped reveal, through the Lord, my authentic self and allowed me to be vulnerable and sensitive and to uncover the tender and painful wounds that caused me to come into agreement with the lies of the enemy that were operating over my life.  I can see now that the incorrect beliefs and shame that increasingly cloaked my life caused me to interpret situations as rejection, failure and unworthiness and to, therefore, take control of my life by becoming performance driven. How can Jesus reign when I need to be on the throne to maintain my professional, competent appearance and reputation?  

During my healing journey, through an act of my will, I chose to have my soul step down from trying to protect and direct my life and asked Jesus to take His rightful place and restore my crushed spirit to its rightful place in my life.  As my spirit began to be revived, I was able to see and believe in my true identity and calling in Christ.

A week away, in such a fantastic and spirit filled environment like Ellel, with creative and authentic relationships, where we could cry and laugh and share in the profound change that was taking place in each of our lives is, to say the least, surreal.  I was challenged upon returning home to reflect on this way of life and how I wanted life to look going forward. During the week, there was an amazing rhythm: extended times with the Lord, sharing at meals, worship, learning, personal ministry, creative opportunities, personal reflection, group reflection and fun.  I didn’t want to go back to the old routine when it ended.

And, in a time of reflection on this, the Lord began to speak: “in Him we live and move and have our being”

My sheep hear	–	They listen to, are attentive to, and are continuously waiting for His voice
My Voice	–	The spirit of the Lord is rising up, causing His sheep to be sensitive, attuned to and joyfully anticipating Him
And I know them	–	Jesus says I’m intimately connected to My sheep; I gave them words the Father gave me and they accepted them and as they remain in Me and I in them, they are bearing much fruit
And they follow Me	_	Their spirit acts and reacts in unity with me; My sheep and I move as one; they are part of my flock, all moving as one; like birds flying in what seems like a massive blob, darting this way and that as they dance across the sky; because as each of my sheep are continuously attentive to their Lord and Shepherd—always abiding the movement, the flow and the in working of My Spirit—together your whole flock can truly move in unison with You, Jesus, as head, orchestrating your body, your bride; we are in You!!

I don’t ever want to leave this place that I’ve found.  I have begun a newness of life. Praise the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, Praise His Holy Name.

Lord, I choose to consecrate myself to you.  Please help me, Lord Jesus, to make my home a center of your abiding love, a place where my family can flourish and everyone who enters can see your glory.  I’ m sorry, Lord, for letting preoccupation with soulish desires replace the precious and loving righteousness you have been longing to nurture in me. Thank you, Father God, for this renewed life, for your love, your acceptance, for what you have done in me.  Help me, strengthen me, rescue and clothe me so I remain an Oak of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord, a priest of the Lord and minister of our God—instead of shame, a double portion; instead of humiliation, shouts of joy. I choose to abide in you.

In Jesus Precious Name, Amen.