Every Little Step We Take

Proverbs 3:5-7

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do,

everywhere you go;

He's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.

Things are a bit hectic these days,  all around us, and at times even in our own homes.  It seems like there is always a decision to be made, an issue to be addressed.  If not by us, by someone that is connected to us that often relies on us for a wise word...for an answer.

There may be days when we become physically and spiritually weary.  However, with every step we take, with every move we make, we must remember like never before to Trust in the Lord with all of our Hearts, and Lean not to our own Understanding.  We cannot be tempted by quick fixes, nor lured in by fleshly pride that wants us to believe that we know exactly "what Jesus would do" because we've been walking with Him for a minute. No. We must Acknowledge Him, Inquire of Him, and then Submit to Him all of our ways, and His promise is that He will direct our Paths.

The Answers.  You see, He has the answers. He knows the Plans He Has for us.  So, here it is again.  Every little step we take, Every little move we make, we keep God first.  He is here for us.  It is a proven fact; while we are trying to figure it out, He's already worked it out.

Copyright 2011 - Victoria L. Burse
Victoria's latest  book "Sabbath Songs" Click Here to purchase your copy today!

Patience in my Process

1 Corinthians 2:9

King James Version (KJV)

 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have

 entered into the Heart of man, the things which God hath

prepared for them that love Him.

While many are unaware, you are not. You know exactly what it is God has called you to do. You have dreamed it, seen it in visions, and perhaps even had an opportunity to live in it for a moment. In both spiritual and practical ways, you have felt the anointing that rests upon you, the shear excitement and the exhilaration, as you go forth in your destined area.  You have been given a Glimpse of your Destiny!

However, it seems that all you can point to at this time is that glimpse. As you scan your sphere at work, at home, or wherever you spend your time these days, nothing in the natural looks anything like what God has shown you He has for you.

Be Encouraged, you are in Process.

Often God will allow you a glimpse of where He is taking you, and then pull you back in. I clearly remember it almost feeling as if I were being drawn back in from the wrong end of a vacuum cleaner. It is as if He says. Daughter, or Son…. Here is where I am taking you….Now, here is your first step. And that first step can seem like a step down; it may be in the natural, but in the Spirit, it is not.

No matter what you have seen or think you have seen, or what you have heard, or think you have heard, you cannot comprehend the fullness of what God has in store for you without the time, the experience, and the intimacy that is developed with God while you are in “process.”

I am convinced that God can and does use everything, and every situation, that is a part of your life at this very moment to prepare you for your next step. You consider it a dead end job – God is using it to build up the patience and endurance you will need as you start your own business from the ground up and experience the frustration of things not “taking off” as fast as you would like them to. You are frustrated because you are not working at the moment; God often uses these times to teach us of His sufficiency and daily provision, as well as the difference between a want and a need. It is essential that you understand this as you oversee and properly steward the finances God releases unto you to fund your dream. I could go on and on, but I think you see where I am headed with this.

If you only have a glimpse of the Blessing, then in the same vane, you really only have a glimpse of what it will require of you to stand and endure – under the weight and responsibility of the Blessing God has in store for you.

Don’t waste this time second guessing God…ask Him moment by moment what He has for you to experience and learn right where you are. In His time, when He is sure that you have grabbed hold of Him, and the important lessons of this season of your life, He will surely usher you into the next phase. May the Lord, grant you Patience in your Process!

Copyright 2011 - Victoria L. Burse

Victoria's latest  book "Sabbath Songs" Click Here to purchase your copy today!

Playground or Battleground

Matthew 18:18

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The madness has gone on for days. Finally, we think “now wait a minute, this is really crazy, something is not quite right. Oh, I see, this is an attack; an attack of the enemy.” We shake ourselves, and God then reminds us of two important things.

First, our battle is not with flesh and blood, but with principalities, powers, and the ruler of darkness of this world. We can’t conversate or compromise with the devil. We must simply “Bind (tie or fasten to render immobile) him up."

Second, God has given us exactly what we need to overcome this type of battle and the Weapons of our warfare are not carnal (temporal or worldly,) but mighty, and able to tear down Strongholds.

So why does it take so long for us to see through the madness? Why do we linger in situations far to long, striving in our own power? Why do we not immediately remember to use our spiritual weapons; to Bind up… what we know is not of God, because it is confusion… and God is not the author of confusion!

We need to be more Spiritually ALERT, (prayerfully watchful, prepared, and ready to act.)

It seems to me it boils down to this one question. “Am I on the Playground, or am I on the Battleground?” You do not fight a war, using the plastic playground toys you take to the park or to the beach. And when we take a stand against the enemy, we are to use God’s Strength, and open His war chest of spiritual weapons. We cannot fight a spiritual battle in the earthly realm.

I’m finished now. It’s Thursday, the week is not over yet. I shall recover, and you shall too. God has given us the KEY. We find the specific instructions in His Word.

Be Encouraged. You may have lost one battle, but you can still win the WAR!

Ephesians 6:10 – 18 (The Message Bible)

10 -12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13 -18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Copyright 2011 - Victoria L. Burse

Victoria's latest  book "Sabbath Songs" Click Here to purchase your copy today!

Doing the best I can with what I have! Christ Centered Stewardship!

Matthew 25: 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

The word of God admonishes that we are to be good stewards of our time, our talents, and our treasures.  Well, what does stewardship mean?  Stewardship is defined as follows: administrator, attendant.  Some synonyms for this word are: custodian, keeper, trustee, even servant.  Well I ask you, which of these denotes ownership.  The answer is None of the above.  Actually, they all denote a place of one who is taking care of something which belongs to someone else.

I wonder if we have forgotten the words of the old Christian song, All that I own belongs to Jesus. They are very simple, yet very profound.  You see, all we have belongs to Him.  This includes our material possessions, jobs, homes, cars, money, etc...Our physical bodies, our children.  Spiritually, it includes our hearts and minds, and emotions.  Everything, everything belongs to Jesus.

Well what then does that say for ownership, does that crush the American dream to own a fine home, or be a CEO, or an entrepreneur - owning your own business, No, certainly not, it simply means, don’t forget how you got there, who allowed you to be there, who gave it to you.

Let’s further explore owning versus managing.  Let’s take a  different look at the parable in Matthew 25, of the men who were given the talents by their master.  Certainly it is true that the servant who did nothing but bury the talent given to him by his master, did not handle the gift wisely, but there is one attitude that was pervasive, and the same among the three.  They understood that what they had was given to them, and still owned by someone else, so they choose to do what they thought was best to protect it. 

Now, for the one who held on to the talent, give him just a little credit.  He did understand that it was not his to do with as he chose.   At least he did not leave town and not return, thus stealing the talent.  So in short, we can say he was a steward over this talent.  But, the word says we are to be a Good Steward.  Now, was he a good steward, no, he did not do the best he could have with the talent.  Actually, he hid it away.  In the other servants, as opposed to the one, was the desire to take what was given to them, and to make it produce more, so that they would have more to present to their master.  Let’s also keep in mind that at a given time, they had to present back to their master what they had done with the talent, as will we.  The question is, will God be pleased?

My point; realizing that all we have does not belong to us; we are simply managing it for the Lord.  Even if we are a CEO, we will one day have to present what He has loaned to us, back to Him.  What will we be presenting?  Will we have done the best with what was given to us?  Will what He gave have produced fruit?  Have we been wise and used wisdom in our management?  Have we allowed someone else to take what was given us?  Have we allowed what was given to simply die, because of lack of use and nurturing by us?  Think about what He has given you.  Has he given you the ability to write, or to sing, or a keen business mind? Are you using it? If so, how are you using it?  If not why aren’t you using it?  Has fear gripped you as it did the one, so that you have buried this thing away, simply to return it as it was given to you some 30, 40, or 50 years ago, while you were in your mothers womb.  Or, are you, like the one, keeping the talent to yourself, it is in use, but it is not being shared?  If Christ had to give you a reference to another employer based on your managerial skills, what would that reference be like?  He does you know, for the word tells us that he intervenes and intercedes for us daily to God the Father.

Review your Stewardship this week, while taking comfort in the fact that you are not CEO of your life.  The stress level is actually a little less.  As the word says, we don’t have to worry about our needs being supplied, our CEO does that; we only have to be concerned with managing them. 

If we do this, I believe some of us will find we have been working a little harder than we ever needed to...

Copyright 2011 - Victoria L. Burse 

Victoria's latest book "Sabbath Songs"  Click Here to purchase your copy today!

Beware the Distractions

Proverbs 4:25-26:
²⁵Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. ²⁶Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.

If indeed you are attending to those things the Lord has purposed for your life, you can be sure that distraction will come – may I go even further to say, that distraction will be “sent.”  A distraction will not necessarily cancel or stop you from reaching your destined place, from reaching a goal you have set for yourself.  However, it does have the capacity to slow you down, to create stress or excess pressure, and to disrupt your thinking.

Distractions come clothed in many ways, and carried in many vessels.  When we tend to distractions, they can leave us feeling drained and weakened.  When we completely ignore them, they can leave us with feelings of guilt and condemnation. Distractions wreak havoc on our Emotions.

So, exactly how do we deal with a distraction?  First, we must recognize when something has been sent as a distraction.  This knowledge comes through Prayer, and Discernment.  We should also look at familiar patterns and occurrences, and we should know ourselves well enough to know our own areas of weakness.  We should know the areas where the enemy tends to launch his attacks.  Often, these areas are the same areas as our gifting. 

Secondly, we must know the difference between Urgent and Important.  Urgent is defined as “compelling or requiring immediate action or attention; imperative; pressing.”  Important is defined as “entitled to more than ordinary consideration or notice.”  Distractions will often come with Urgent – attached.  Taking time to Pray, and consider the situation is imperative.  We should ask God, who else might help, or even attend to what is occurring?  This is a time to add God’s Super, to your Natural.  If this is sent as a distraction, then this is warfare, and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,… 2 Corinthians 10:4.  Weapons of our warfare include “Binding” (or fastening) some things up.  Why do we wait before we engage the enemy in this way…  I’ll pause here, cause that topic is another message within itself:)

Thirdly, we must develop the habit of setting priorities in our lives, and realize there are times that we will need to measure the importance of the “event” against our personal priorities.  Now I want to be clear, I’m talking about priorities that have been established in Wisdom, and according to God’s will for your life.  That is important to note, because His plans for our life will not include selfish or self-centered acts.

Fourth, as we engage situations to support or meet a need, we must be aware of what our part is, and what God’s part is.  When a distraction is “sent” look for it to be a situation in which we are tempted to take on a “God Posture.”  Notice I did not say a Godly, or God like posture, but I said a God Posture.  In other words, we try to play God in a situation, and usually end up being more of an enabler, than a Blessing from the Lord.

Last, but definitely not least – we cannot forget how POWERFUL and NEEDFUL Prayer is.  Many of these distracting situations that we think require our physical time and other resources could benefit more from our Prayer time.  At the very least, as I mentioned above, we must be sure to pray “first.”  Prayer helps us to stay on track.  Prayer brings us to one accord with the Father and His will for us in the particular situation as well as our lives in general.  Then, as we intercede for others, we engage the supernatural Power of God to move on their behalf.  We might find that solutions are already in place if we took a moment to Pray about a situation, before we jump right in to act on it! 

Because many distractions are often carried in the vessels of family and friends, and clothed in a genuine need, Wisdom and Divine Direction must be at the forefront of our actions.  We must be in a place spiritually, where we can overrule our emotions when necessary, and we must never let our emotions be our barometer.

As I end, I want to be sure and emphasize that YES!  We all have things in life that happen, things that are Urgent and Important that we will have to tend to.  However through Prayer, with Wisdom and Discernment we can keep our eyes fixed on the path the God has laid before us, move in His timing, and minimize delay, as we press toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14)

Copyright 2011 - Victoria L. Burse 

Victoria's latest book "Sabbath Songs"  Click Here to purchase your copy today!

“Being Comfortable, with Being Uncomfortable”

The Process of Change
“Being Comfortable, with Being Uncomfortable”

Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible)

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable

and perfect [in His sight for you].

It is so comforting to walk into a room, a work environment, a church, and just say – “now this is me.”  We even say this in terms of things like a new dress or suit we are trying on.  The moment we put it on, see ourselves in it, it just seems like we know.  “This is me, this is right.”  In other words “This Feels Good.”

As humans, it is part of our nature to seek comfort.  As we say, this is me, we are saying this is who I am, this matches where I am right now.  I’ve found that we do the same when it comes to seeking out settings for our spiritual guidance and growth.  When we are seeking a church home or even a place of service within ministry – we look for what feels “comfortable.”  Jesus performed many miracles and touched many lives – and while the end result may have been comfort and joy in those He personally touched, most often, He first took them to a place of discomfort.  He asked a question that made them feel uncomfortable, or in His exalted place as a Prophet of the Most High God, He spoke to them about details of their lives – that only He could haveknown about – through the Holy Ghost.  You know those tiny details, those secrets, those hidden things we don’t share with others.  Certainly, His knowledge of these things, made the people initially “uncomfortable.”  However, in the end, we see people healed, delivered, and set free.  (See scripture references, John 4:1-42 The Woman of Samaria, Mark 7:24-30, The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman)

Jesus is about the business of changing lives by way of transforming our thinking.  Getting to know Him and having an intimate relationship with Him means allowing Him to challenge the way we have been doing things, and thinking about things – our entire lives.  This can be especially difficult, if we’ve begun this process in the latter years of our lives.  It means allowing Him to not only teach us, but to re-teach us things we thought we already knew. 

Truly, it is our flesh that causes us to run and shy away from the things that we really need.  It is that initial pain and discomfort – that if not checked against the reality of Christ and the assurance given in His word, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11 – that will forever keep us in the place where we are now.  Let’s face it – who we are now, is not who we were created to be, but it is the sum total of who we were created to be plus – our life experiences.  Many of us have faced many troubling life experiences and made many questionable choices in the past, so as we calculate this total – our troubles in life may far out-weigh our God experiences and God transforming moments.   

So, we need more God Moments.  We’ve got to be aware – if our workplace, if our relationships, if our church family and Pastor – all make us feel “comfortable” where we are now, what or who will draw us to a higher place, to our destiny? What or who will cause us to grow?  We need more – more than who we are, more than where we are, to take us to where we are supposed to be.

Your task for the day!  Look around, and list the things you’ve been running away from lately.  Could it be you are looking for comfort, when God is trying to take you to that uncomfortable place of change and growth?   (That you prayed and asked Him for!) Identify at least one thing – that while uncomfortable – is one thing you can honestly say you need in your life.  Ask God for the courage and strength to grab a hold of that one thing, embrace it, until God finishes using it to work its perfect work in your life.

And for those of us who are in an uncomfortable place at this moment, rather than groaning and complaining, we should be Praising God, for we are right in the center of His will!

Copyright 2011 - Victoria L. Burse 

Victoria's latest book "Sabbath Songs"  Click Here to purchase your copy today!

Stay Focused

Philippians 3:15-16 (The Message)

So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

A “Set” Place (the Garden of) Eden

H

ave you ever felt like you just got off track?  I’m not talking about backsliding, I’m talking about those times when you felt weary in your well doing, or maybe you were offended by a situation and you put your “wall” in place -  as a means of protecting your emotions, and you just shut down…  Something happened to quench that fire you once felt.  So, you let one something go, then another, and then another, and before you know it–your feeling disconnected.

Well you know the line, “God doesn’t leave us,” we are the ones who leave Him.  During these times, rather than going to Him, entering the inner court in prayer, we hang out in the outer courts much too far away from His healing and restoring presence. 

I’ve found that I have to be willing to confess everything, and I mean everything to God in prayer.  I’ve got to be able to tell Him when I am tired, angry, hurt, discouraged, afraid, and when I have that just “don’t want to do it” spirit.  That is what it means to me to cast my cares upon Him.  I’ve found that every time I did, in one way or another, He came through.  Sometimes with strength and endurance, sometimes clearly delivering me out of a circumstance, other times with a word of correction, but always restoring and loving me and not judging me for the weaknesses of my flesh.  He really, really does love us, and He does hear our prayers.   

Don’t stray to far from Eden my sisters, your lifeline is there.  There in the garden where it has been all the time. 

As published in "Sabbath Songs"  Copyright 2010 - Victoria L. Burse 

Click Here to purchase your copy today!