Rayni Risher

Renewed Passion Makes You Soar

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Last week someone asked me what to do if you have lost sight of what you’re passionate about. That’s a universal and important question, isn’t it?

Passion for life, work, relationships and ministry is so important because it helps drive us forward with hope and excitement. So when we feel like we’ve lost sight of our passion in any area, it can be hugely discouraging and even crippling.

Regaining Passion
I best way I know to regain passion is to connect with Jesus. He is the source of life and He is the author of all the passions, desires, dreams and gifts in us. God’s the originator of every promise in His word and the creator of every wonderful plan He has for us.

Even King David, who was called the man after God’s own heart, got sidetracked, tangled in sin and discouragement. In Psalm 51:12 he says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” David asked God to restore his joy of simply being saved. And when his joy was restored I believe his passion for life was also restored.

Remaining in Christ
For me, remaining in Christ, staying intimately connected with the source of life and passion, is the main way I stay rejuvenated and passionate. How do I stay connected? Reading the Bible daily, prayer, worship, going to church, fellowshiping with other believers, listening to sermons online. Reading testimonies of what God has done in and through other people and remembering what He has done for me. These are all a huge part of remaining encouraged and invigorated.

I’ve realized that the more I am intentional about seeking God, the more I am filled with peace, joy, passion and direction.

Also, having a vision or revelation from God for what He’s called you to do, what you’re working toward–having goals–is so important. A few months ago God gave me a huge new passion for a specific type of ministry and showed me several goals to work toward with it. Because of that I have had so much new passion and excitement as I’m working, knowing that God is leading me. If you don’t have a vision of what God wants you to work toward—in life, relationships, job, ministry, etc.- ask God to give you vision! Proverbs 29:18 says that without vision the people perish.

Waiting While We Wait
In April we talked a lot about waiting on God and I am reminded that I need to wait while I wait. What does that mean? While we are waiting for a promise or dream or healing or renewed passion—or whatever it is we are waiting for—it’s so important to spend time “waiting” on God. Seeking Him. Being still before Him. Or we could call it waiting with God.

In Hebrew the word “Qavah” means “wait”. And we see this word in a well-known verse in Isaiah 40:31.

“Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.”

Qavah is a verb, which means that waiting is an action. Waiting on God is an active pursuit. And qavah also has some other interesting definitions:

To twist, stretch, bind together; the tension of enduring. Endure, remain, to expect.

Other Bible translations translate qavah as “trust” or “hope” in place of “wait”. And yet when we wait on God doesn’t He fill us with trust and hope? And while we’re waiting He’s stretching us spiritually, and binding us beautifully to Himself as we surrender to Him.  It can be difficult but we have to endure in that waiting to reap the treasure He has for us from the experience.

A Couple Other Thoughts
I think God always wants us to feel passion toward Him and with what He gives us to do. But sometimes I believe God lets our passion wane for certain things because He’s moving us on to something new. (I’m not talking about covenant relationships you’re in, i.e. your marriage). But there may be other areas or interests that God will lead you away from and will give you fresh passion for the new thing He’s preparing for you.

Or it may even be that you need to take a step back, for a time, from the thing you’ve lost passion for and let God renew that passion.

Another possibility could be that your expectations haven’t been met because God has another plan, but your loss of passion comes from disappointment. Ask God if that’s what has tanked your passion.

Part of that discerning comes from waiting on Him and sensing His loving guidance in every area of life.

So today, whatever it is you’re waiting on, remember to wait with the Author of Life and ask Him to renew your passion. He will. He really will.

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While You Wait, Remember to Live

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If God has given you a promise, a deep desire, a dream…don’t let anyone laugh at it or kill it.

That includes you!

When we’re waiting for something to come to pass it’s easy to start second guessing our own dream. Is this really from God? Am I just full of it? Did I make that up?

When I’m asking myself those questions I know I need to continually surrender that dream, that hope, that desire to God and let Him work in His timing.

If He’s given you a promise it will come to pass.

And just as I was reminded from Jeremiah 29 recently, God is specific in His timing.

In Jeremiah 29 God has the prophet send a letter to the Israelites who were exiles in Babylon. The Israelites were there of their own doing, from failing to change their lives after many warnings from God. And they would remain in exile for 70 years. God tells them that up front.

All the Israelites wanted was to go back to their homeland. But for 70 years they would be waiting to return.

Waiting.

And yet in the midst of their waiting God doesn’t tell them to just sit around and mope, lost in a dream of the future.

No, He tells them to live their lives!

“This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God, to all the exiles I’ve taken from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and make yourselves at home. Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country. Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you’ll thrive in that country and not waste away. Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s welfare.” (Jeremiah 29: 4-7, MSG)

God also reminds them that He has a specific timing in bringing them back to the place they long to return to.

“As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29: 10-11, MSG)

So, while the Israelites are waiting for that specific word of God to take place they are also living in the present.

Getting married. Building homes. Raising kids. Working. Worshiping God.

Sometimes when God plants a dream in our hearts, or gives us a specific promise of what is to come, we can get tired in waiting for it to come to pass. But be encouraged today that God knows the desires of your heart.

And even better, He knows the plans He has for you.

They’re good plans. Plans of hope and a future. Also know that when God wants to open a door He’ll do it in the best possible timing. Though the completion of the promise lingers…wait for it.

Like Sarah and Abraham had to wait for God’s promised child. Like Joseph had to wait for the prophetic dream God gave him to be proved true. Like Ruth had to wait for a new husband and a new life.

They all lived in the “now” as they waited. And they surely weren’t disappointed.

That seed that God has planted may seem dead and buried in the ground. But often when you least expect it, He’ll bring it bursting through the dirt with a little green sprout at just the right time. 

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Partnering with God

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[Guest Post by Paula Friedrichsen] It takes perseverance to enter a season of sustained breakthrough, and it takes “continued perseverance” to go one step further and press into your destiny. Perseverance means “steady persistence in a course of action, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”

The way to adequately maintain the perseverance needed to press into all God has for you is by “partnering with the prophetic.” Partnering with the prophetic involves hearing the Word of the Lord for your life—and then walking in faith, patience, preparation, and perseverance until that word is fulfilled. There’s an interesting example of this scenario found in the book of Esther.

Wicked Haman had devised a murderous plan to annihilate the entire Jewish nation. Through the courageous actions of Esther and her uncle Mordecai, the plot was foiled. However, what I find interesting is the fact that King Xerxes’ edict, “granting the Jews the right to assemble and protect themselves” was issued on “the twenty-third day of the third month”… yet the appointed day for this conflict wasn’t until, “the thirteenth day of the twelfth month” (over seven months later!).

If you think about it, in reality the entire situation changed the moment the king wrote that edict. But the Jews didn’t actually see the effect of that edict until many months later. The Jews had to “partner” with the King’s word. First of all, they had to believe the word. Then they had to exercise patience for that word to come to pass. Next they had to prepare for the conflict even though it was many months away. And eventually they had to persevere against their enemies in the day of battle. In the end, they had to partner with the king’s word to see it become their destiny.

And we must do the same. We are called to partner with the prophetic words the Holy Spirit gives us. We begin that partnership by pressing into our breakthrough and refusing to give up no matter what comes against us. Destiny is interwoven with breakthrough, and breakthrough will often precipitate destiny.

Here’s what the sequence looks like when it comes to partnering with the prophetic:

  • God speaks to you.
  • God confirms His Word.
  • It takes root in your heart and becomes an unshakeable thing which is dear to you.
  • You begin to speak about it, pray about it, and plan for it.
  • It is repeatedly substantiated in different ways.
  • The enemy comes for it (which in-and-of itself is further substantiation of its validity).
  • You fight for it with faith, patience, preparation, and perseverance.
  • In the fighting for it, your dream and destiny are refined and defined—and the roots grow deep into your heart and mind.
  • With deep roots, your dream and destiny are free to begin to flourish and thrive.
  • You step into it! You won’t be denied. You won’t be swayed. Fear of man and fear of failure cannot stop you. It is yours!

I’m not sure where you are along that journey—but be encouraged that God rewards tenacity. He’s seen you stand your ground when you have felt like giving up. He’s seen you stay obedient to His directives, even when they didn’t make sense to you. He’s seen you continue to press into your destiny and calling, even when others put you down or doubted your ability to rise to the top.

He’s seen you persevere through unfathomable difficulties and hardship with a smile on your face and worship on your lips. Be encouraged that God sees and God knows—and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Your new day is coming like the dawn! It’s going to be bright and beautiful, and it’s going to be worth each and every sacrifice you made along the way!

Paula Friedrichsen is an ordained minister who lives with her family in California. This article is an excerpt of her latest book, “A Season of Breakthrough: Four Strategies to Living a Life of Sustained Freedom”. To find out more about Paula’s ministry visit www.PFMinistries.com

 

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Taking the Long Way

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This week is Passover so I was just re-reading the story of the original Passover in Exodus, chapters 11-13. At the end of the last chapter I smiled as I read these verses:

“It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, “If the people encounter war, they’ll change their minds and go back to Egypt. So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea.” Exodus 13:17-18

After the final plague caused Pharoah to let the Israelites leave slavery in Egypt, God led them to the Red Sea. But on the way to the sea there were two different routes He could have chosen to take them. A shorter route and a longer route. To us, the shorter route always seems to be the most logical, doesn’t it? But God, in His wisdom, sent them the long way. It was for their own good but they didn’t know that at the time.

When the Road Seems Long
As it says in the verses above, the shorter route would have led the Israelites by the Philistines where there could have been a war. God knew that if that happened, the Israelites would, out of fear, run right back to slavery. That’s the exact opposite of what He wanted for them. So He decided to take them the longer way which was a safer route.

Have you ever felt like God was taking you the long way?

You feel like you’ve been waiting forever on a prophecy or promise to come to fruition. Or for freedom from a stronghold. Or for your prayers for another person to be answered. After a while it’s easy to start questioning God, wondering if He cares or if He’s even listening to you. But…

When You’re in the Wilderness Just Keep Trusting God
In the Bible the wilderness is usually a place of testing and refinement. Christians often refer to their own “wilderness experiences” as times when they wondered if God really still cared or existed. We read that the Israelites:

“…moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.” Exodus 13:20-22

Whether you are on the edge of the wilderness or right in the middle of the high brush…or if you’re on the longer route rather than the straight shot to deliverance…remember that God is with you. He’s leading you. He’s watching over you. He’s protecting you. He’s doing miracles in your midst. Whether you feel Him there or not. When you see Him and when your sight fails you. He’s there.

If He’s taking you the long way He’s doing it out of wisdom, not to torment you.

Maybe there is danger in the shorter route, or you just need the extra time on the road to understand what He’s teaching you or for Him to prepare you for what He’s leading you into. But He’s there…so just keep going. Because He’s trustworthy. His character precedes Him.

 

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God Encounter-Leviticus

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How many of you out there can’t wait to sit down and read through Leviticus? Wait, I don’t see any hands raised. While surely there are some people who enjoy reading this book of the Bible, for most of us it can feel like a bit of a chore to get through. Lots of instruction for the Israelites about sacrifices, offerings and daily life.

But here’s the thing.

There is a lot of amazing truth we can learn from Leviticus. Not the least of which is this:

God is holy.

God or gods
“We try to reduce God to a size that conveniently fits our plans, ambitions and tastes. God cannot be fit into our plans, we must fit into His. Holy refers to a life burning with an intense purity that transforms everything it touches into itself. Because the core of all living is God, and God is a holy God, we require much teaching and long training for living in response to God as He is and not as we want Him to be.” (Eugene Peterson, Introduction to Leviticus, The Message)

In the book of Leviticus God communicates to the people of Israel in meticulous detail about everything from the ordination of priests to how to treat infectious diseases. Through all of it they are reminded that God, with all of His wisdom, is in charge and that they have a choice of whether they obey Him or walk away from His wisdom.

In Chapter 26 God lovingly and very specifically lays out what the results of their choice of obedience (or disobedience) will be. Living by God’s decrees include an abundant harvest of food, a country of peace, and God’s very presence among them. Rebelling against God will bring the exact opposite. The Israelites have a clear choice and they will reap what they sow.

This is About a Relationship
But this isn’t about a killjoy rule-keeping Creator. It’s about a God who is so desperately in love with His people that He desires to live in communion with them. And because God is holy, their fellowship with Him becomes broken and polluted when they willfully choose an unholy and disobedient path. God doesn’t love them any less but His holiness can’t abide unholiness.

Peterson also tells us, “Back in Egypt (where the Israelites had come from), a great god’s “holiness” meant that only rich and well-connected people could expect any attention. For daily needs, ordinary people stuck to household gods who did what you wanted. In Canaan, where the Israelites were heading, things were worse (if possible): Canaanite gods liked orgies and child sacrifices, just for starters. No wonder the Israelites needed to get clear on what their God meant by holiness.”

God’s instructions and rules were designed to protect the Israelites from falling into the horrific actions that the Canaanites were practicing, like murdering their own children as a sacrifice to their god. God’s instructions to them are about their own welfare as well as His holiness; He wants to protect them and also live among them.

God is in the Neighborhood
One of the most beautiful promises from God to the Israelites, if they choose a holy life, is this:

“I’ll set up my residence in your neighborhood; I won’t avoid or shun you; I’ll stroll through your streets. I’ll be your God; you’ll be my people. I am God, your personal God who rescued you from Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely. (Leviticus 26:11-13)

The Creator of everything and everyone created us so He could love us and have a relationship with us. He wanted that with Adam and Eve, He wanted that with the Israelites.

He wants that today…with us.

Let’s take some time this week to think about the holiness of God and how we have the opportunity to let our life, thoughts and actions invite God’s Holy Presence to purify and transform us, creating a deeper fellowship with Him.

In the end this isn’t so much about following a list of rules as it is desiring to walk away from impurity and walk closer toward our Holy, loving Father God.

 

 

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