Women. I LOVE WOMEN.
Today after our home visits and lunch the girls were to get together with local women, most of them go to the church to do a women’s bible study or discussion time. Fellowship and a lesson of some kind.
I volunteered to lead it (with some hesitation). I had no idea what to teach on so I quickly paged through “My Utmost for His Highest” book and I stopped at this heading… REMOVE THE ROCKS… not sure why, but read it to my teammates and really felt God wanted this taught today. Here’s what it says… or what I read to the women… (slight variations)
I told them to listen to it as if God where talking directly to them… I encourage you to do the same.
Remove the Rocks
O My people, I have called you to repentance and confession and forgiveness and cleansing, but you have listened to my words as though they were but slight rustlings in the tree-tops as though they were of little consequence and could be brushed aside at will. Behold, I say unto you. You cannot resist My Spirit without suffering pain, and you cannot turn a def ear to My words without falling thereafter into the snare of the enemy.
You have cried unto Me with all your hearts, but you have complained that I have not heard your prayers. It is written: “The Lord Is the rewarder of them that DILIGENTLY seek Him.” And “Then shall you find Me, when you seek Me with ALL your heart.”
Look no more to My hand to supply freely your needs when you have not humbled your hearts and cleansed your hands to come to Me with the sacrifice which I have required – even a broken and contrite heart. You need not listen for Me to speak to you when your ears are heavy from listening to evil reports.
Just as there can come no healing to the physical body until there be first a removal of poison in the system: so there can come no blessing and revival and renewal to My Body, the Church, until there be a putting away of evil and purging away of sins. Your eyes shall not look upon My face while they are still engaged in viewing the faults and imperfections in others; and when you look to Min in truth and sincerity and repentance, you shall indeed see Me, and having seen Me, you shall look upon with love and understanding and patience, knowing full well the needs in your own heart and life.
Behold, after the weeds are cleared; after the rough ground is broken up; after the rocks have been removed. Then I will send the showers, and then I will minister to your hearts in kindness and in blessing. For though My heart has been grieved, yet I love you; and though I have hid My face from you for a time, in great tenderness would I gather you again unto Myself.
I will withhold My anger and discipline when you turn unto Me in repentance. If you confess your sins and you recognized your wrongdoings. I will be faithful to you and forgive you. I will cleanse and restore you. You will find peace. You shall say the tears of godly sorrow have been sweet.
The heart that grieves over sin shall experience genuine comfort. There is not the like of it in any of the comforts of the world. If you bathe My feet in your tears, I shall clasp you to my chest in love. I cannot describe to you My love. I can only give it to you. It is beyond the Cross. Go through. The Spirit alone can communicate what lies on the other side.
Then came the SKIT.
While rewriting out the above reading… it came to me to do a skit… those are always fun, huh ! ? ! J
Rocks of sin… in my shoe… picked up from different instances of sin, experiences with sin.
It started out with Anna Barnes talking to Anna C and I stole some sunglasses out of AB purse without her knowing. (stealing) I went on to talk to Di about Anna C behind her back (gossiping) walked on to put the sunglasses I stole in Kim Hillebrand’s pocket and telling AB that it was Kim that stole the glasses (lying) then on to talk of Darci’s beautiful skirt and how jealous I was about it. Every time I committed a sin another rock went into my shoe. Soon I was walking on many rocks in my shoes and it was painful. No one could see the rocks, I could pretend they are not there (I did a little dance) but I felt them and God knew they were there too.
I went on to say that God doesn’t tell us that life will be easy. But He does quip us with shoes, with things that will help us travel the path He has for us. Sometimes we pick up rocks in our shoes that make our journey more painful and much more challenging than God may have intended for it to be for us. Rocks of sin… unconfessed sin. We can choose to stop and remove them before going on, not pretending things are alright, not wishing for them to go away. But taking the time to go before God to say Father forgive me for picking up this (rock) sin, it hurts me and I know it hurts You also. It hurts You because You love me and want the best for me because I am Your child. I ask for Your forgiveness so that I can continue on with the journey of my life with You by my side.
He will help you get rid of these rocks. It may take many, many times of coming to Him to ask Him for help in removing the rocks (as I show them I dump out my shoes before God) because we continue to pick them up. They get stuck in our shoes, in our lives. The rocks (sins) are distracting and take away our focus on loving, appreciating and helping others. Most importantly it can take our focus off God.
There are sins that we pick up and cause pain and we are unaware of where they came from or what we’ve done to feel this way. That’s when we ask the Lord to reveal anything in our lives that is hindering us from walking well with the Him. Is there sin that I need to be brought aware of Lord? Please make me aware of what it is so that I can recognize it in my life? To then confess it, and try to stay away from it… etc.
In seeing and hearing these examples of sin, are there any unconfessed
sin in your lives?
What kind of pain has it caused you?
Have you found unconfused sin to distract you from experiencing the joy God wants you to have?
A few head noddings an observation that they were thinking. Pondering past events and knowing that this message was going to stick with them for a bit. I said that they don’t need to necessarily confess sin to us (white young women they just met) but for them to look to each other for support and accountability
I encouraged them to confess and talk to each other. As sisters we are here to hold one another accountable and are there to confront, console, and encourage when needed. There is power in confession to others. Power in our words. Especially when we are calling to light things that are dark.
We went on after this to sing a song, led by Kim. They sang us some songs and we went around the circle to hear about everyone. Their names, how old they are, how many children, their ages and how many grandchildren… married or not… etc. etc.
It was such a nice time. Anna B led prayer as we prayed for those that wanted specific prayer for things and for us overall. Gave praise to God for answering prayers for one of the women and thanked God for the beautiful day and the chance to come in fellowship with new sisters.
I love WOMEN… I think I mentioned that. J
We will meet 2 more Tuesdays and I look forward to our next meeting. They would like to know next time how they can incorporate God into their lives at home and not just at church. How sweet. I will be thinking and praying and thanking God for them.
Praise God…. You are so good!
