Fruit from Rest

"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 6:31

Over the last while God has been reminding me of the truth that fruitfulness comes from a place of rest in God. Not from a place of busyness or striving. The last several months God has been teaching me that sometimes His priority is that I simply rest in Him. Resting physically as well as spiritually is important to Him. In truth often I find that I am anxious to know what's ahead and want to fill the need to be doing something. What are we doing next? What's the plan? What's the task? And there are times when God doesn't really seem as interested in talking about all that as I am in wanting to know it all. Maybe He knows that if I was to know everything ahead, it would prevent me from actually receiving the rest that will give me the strength I need to do what's ahead. 

The beautiful thing is that out of that place of rest and letting God fill me up, He gives me the strength and the ability to bear fruit. Fruit really only comes from abiding in Him (John 15).

I love the fact that God is so faithful to show me exactly what I need. Experiencing times when God forces me to slow down makes me realize that God actually cares about me.  He doesn't just want me as a servant that He orders around. He actually cares about taking care of me and giving me what I really need, even when I don't necessarily want it. He always knows best. He's personal and actually cares about me as a person and I love Him for it. 

To Be Like a Child

Both of us were sitting in window seats. Both of us were waiting for the jet to finish taxiing and take off. She was sitting directly in front of me. She was probably between three and six years old. She stared out the window and  I couldn't help but hear the excited exclamations she made as she observed what was on the other side. She wondered at the lava rock (yes we were in Hawaii). She was excited when the plane begin to pick up speed. Me? I was a silent "boring" adult. Here I sat watching a little girl pour forth excitement and joy over the little things that have become so routine and "normal" to me. To me it was nothing to write home about. To her it was thrilling and sensational. She made me think about being that way in life.

I can imagine that God loves it when I live like that little girl, when I'm excited and thrilled to the nines over the smallest little gifts. He gives me little gifts every day and so often I take them for granted, let alone treat them as if they were the best thing since whipped cream. But I want to be as excited about life and its small joys as that little girl was about a plane picking up speed. I want to find joy in every little thing. I want to be childlike.

What if I lived life with unhindered excitement over the small things and the big things God did in my life? What if I never contained or neatly packaged my joy? What if I was vulnerable and childlike enough that I simply let joy bubble uncontrollably out of my cup of life spilling onto everyone around me? What would life look like? What would my life look like if I lived every day like a child?

Be Still My Soul

The Lord has been speaking to me over the last few months about being still. Sometimes it can be one of the hardest things to do. To be still and not move can be very challenging at times. It grates against our urges to do, move and the impatience buried within us can no longer remain buried in the closet. But I love what the devotional Streams in the Desert says. "God doesn't tell you to be still, sit still or stand still unless He plans to do something." How exciting to be in the place where God is saying to simply, stand still so that He can work on our behalf. There should be a strong expectation in the fact that if the Lord is telling me to not move, than He Himself really wants to move on my behalf. 

There are times when we are forced to stand still because we have no way before us. We have no way back and no way forward. In those trapped places where we feel forsaken by the Lord, it just may be that He is about to open up a way we would have never dreamed possible. Israel experienced this when led to the Red Sea. With an army closing in on them from behind and a vast sea in front of them they told Moses,

"Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so felt with us to take us up out of Egypt?

What does Moses tell them? Look at his response. 

"And Moses said to the people, Do no be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace." 

Israel was told to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. In the place where they had no where to go, they were told to simply stand still and see the salvation of God. Sure enough, God was about to do something.

Right after this the Lord tells Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward."  
The miracle of the parting of the red sea occurred before their very eyes and Israel saw the Lord fight for them and deliver them from all their fear. They were able to go forward through a way created by the Lord. 

May we never grow impatience in the stillness. May we never doubt the goodness of the Lord in those times where we have no way forward and no way back. When He says stand still, get ready for it very well may be because He is about to stretch out His arm and reveal His glory in ways no had never thought possible. 

Molding a King

So I thought I would pull out some poetry from over a year ago.  Enjoy! 

-C.

Molding a King

by

Christy Fiskeaux

Years were spent in gentle verdant fields

The smallest and weakest usually aren’t wanted for more

Days and nights I spent with no face to behold

Save one. Twas He and I alone.

Things would always remain the same I thought

until the day I was told it was time to go

I was the one they were waiting and hoping would arrive

Yet, future events to me were a profound mystery

I found I was chosen with oil poured out

and was gifted a Spirit which before had remained unseen

I knew what would come but I was uncertain how

To be trained by the master Time, I knew was the best design

A day of death soon appeared on the scene

The pivotal point all depended on me

I killed the giant everyone feared

This victory for the rest of the nation then mirrored

Favor became a true friend to me

My song, my beauty, my sword were admired and loved

My eyes a mirror that held captive each eye

Backstage my name became great as was previously sworn 

A friend with strong affection was gifted to me

An unseen immediate bond between souls was formed

Love deeper than waves came from the King’s son

He made a solemn pact with gifts and knew one day he’d rule with me

Yet before I could receive what I was chosen to have

I was forced to wander in dens and caves

running for my life with enemies every place I set my eyes

“You’ll never be king” the enemy lied

Temptation told me to take what was mine as the king slept

Yet, I knew I must wait and not light my own flames

I knew in proper time the kingship would appear

and then I would have what had been prophesied

The lion that hunted my life was removed by a greater hand

Yet, I only had part of what I was meant for

The city had to be taken before the rest could be claimed

A sapper I chose to become with explosives to nest

City walls were now as visible as wind

Receiving the kingdom I knew was at hand

The sword could finally be sheathed and war could now end

A great city was now my choicest treasure

Yet a king can not dwell in a city void of walls

The walls were rebuilt stronger than had been seen prior

What once was called Hebron I chose to call something new

It became “The City of the Beloved” after my name

A new city, a new king, a new era

Two parts had become one

The nation would never be the same

This king would lead them to a greater time

I am now known as a leader of men

War and I have deeply communed

I’ve seen the color of blood and men are intrigued

Yet a life of war is only dared lived out by those who yearn in hope for a day of peace

I am Beloved 

I am the Chosen One

I am the Greatest of Warriors

I am the King

I am David

When Dad pulls out the Knife

Just something I wrote last year. Enjoy! :) 

Everyone talks about how Abraham is the “Father of Faith”. True. He is. Yet, if Isaac had never entered the picture, where would Abraham’s faith have been seen? Abraham’s faith was linked with Isaac. Isaac was the physical manifestation of Abraham’s faith. Isaac was Abraham’s whole world. Everything revolved around him. Isaac, probably knew this. He probably grew up hearing, “You are what was promised me. You are what is going to fulfill the rest of the promise.” Isaac was proof that faith works. Isaac was proof that God comes through. Isaac was the one God chose to use to fulfill His promise to Abraham. Because of everything that Isaac was, it was necessary to God that he be sacrificed or offered up anyways. 

We all know Abraham was called to give up his whole world declaring before the Lord that he did truly fear him. We have all heard the sermons. “Yes, what is your Isaac? Will you lay it down? Life is about being fully surrendered. Will you give it all?” But what about Isaac’s point of view. Isn’t Isaac a foreshadowing of another Son that we are called to be exactly like? It probably wouldn't hurt  to pay some attention to the one who was actually ON the alter? I mean think about it. You wake up one morning. Dad takes you on a long trip. You think everything is normal. Wait. Dad forgot part of the sacrifice. Weird! But hey, he is old after all. Strange though he doesn’t seem worried about it. Then you find out you ARE the sacrifice. That is NOT my idea of a good day. I’m sure Isaac could have outrun Abraham any day. His young strong body could have fought the old one that was now tying him up preventing him from going anywhere. Why didn’t Isaac run? He could have. He could have said, “This is the most crazy thing I have ever heard. I’m done with this. Dad, you have truly lost your mind. This isn’t God and even if it is, why serve a God like this?” 

Yet despite the fact that Isaac could have boycotted the whole deal, he chose to stay. He chose to allow himself to be bound. He chose to lie on the alter. He chose to watch the knife go up. And he chose to DO NOTHING but let it all happen. Aren’t you even a bit curious what was going through his mind in that moment? 

Maybe he thought....

“So dad has always said that I am the heir to the promise. Why is he killing me? This makes Absolutely NO. SENSE. with ANYTHING that dad has said about who I am or about who God is and furthermore this is not like dad at all. Everything dad has ever said is completely contrary to this. This is not the way the story ends. At least, so I have been told. Either dad was way wrong or  I completely didn’t understand what he said growing up or this is a set up. If it is a set up, I’m giving up a lot here to find out.”

Or maybe he was thinking...

“I’m never going to see mom again. I’m never going to see dad ever again. This is the end. This is how I die.” 

Or maybe... 

“Seeing my dad kill me actually hurts more than the thought of dying. He won’t save me. I know it. He loves God too much. Nope. I am expendable at this point. I thought dads were supposed to come through for their kids. But apparently, my dad is not that kind of dad. The pain of seeing the person I respect the most destroy me hurts more than the idea of dying itself.” 

Or maybe... 

“How much is this really going to hurt anyways? I know it’s going to. I knew where this was going when he started tying me up. I knew what I was doing when I let him. Or did I? This is it. There is no going back now. The knife is already in the air. It’s too late. There is no way to be saved. I’m pass the point of no return. Goodbye life” 

But perhaps, just perhaps, somehow, the faith that Abraham lived out every day of his life was somehow dropped in Isaac’s heart over those years as a kid and maybe what he really thought was...

“If God is really who I have heard that He is, then there has to be a way out of this. There WILL either be a substitute or a dead body brought back to life. But I am not afraid to be sacrificed because I too have a faith in a God who will not lie. If I was born from parents too old to have kids, than I can truly be brought back to life. The God of my dad is MY God too and I am willing to lay my life on an alter and watch myself be destroyed by the one I love the most because I know in whom I have believed. I stake my life on the promises of God....LITERALLY. I profess a faith that says, I will gladly allow the one I love most to put me on an alter and slay me because I know he must. For I too love the God that he loves and I know he must do this. I may be the heir but I am not the King of all Kings. He must always come first, even if I forever lay on an alter watching knives hang above my head. And yes the reality is the knife may indeed come down. The pain will be great and I will lose everything. But I find that I truly love someone more than my father. I love my God and I will be the heir he desires or the sacrifice he longs for. I will not run. I will not fight. I will gladly lay down my life. I trust in my God. I trust that my father hears my God. Here I am. Slay me!”

Oh for that kind of faith. 

One Match Can Change Everything

I am so touched at the nearness of the Lord. The more I follow Him, the more real He is. The more dear He is. The more I see Him, the more I love Him. Yet, how little I truly know Him. I long to know Him more for I do not know Him enough nor will I ever know Him enough. There is nothing in this world that could ever replace the sheer beauty of one moment of intimacy with Him. 

He is the only person I have ever found that is worth laying down everything for. He is the only one worth going to the stake and burning for. The beauty of saying yes when He asks, "Will you burn for me?" is that like the three Hebrew guys who walked into the fire, you find Him in the flames. As you are burning, or being warmed by the fire you stand in, you see Him and how can you not love Him? Sometimes the worst part you find is the part where you had to walk into the fire because once you are in it, you see Him. No one else is there with you. It is just you and Him and you see how glorious He truly is. Maybe just maybe He will smile at you and say, "I knew you'd come." for He knows you love Him. He knows. It doesn't matter whether you walk out of the flames untouched or you stay there until you completly burn away for either way you are with Him and that's all that matters. He WILL love you back. You have Him and you always will. You can feel Him. You can touch Him. You have Him and He is everything you have ever dreamed of. 

When God "Runs"

Imagine! Just imagine for a second. What if this were the case.

God: Have you ever felt like running away from everything you knew was right and everything you knew you should do just to see if anyone would care enough to stop you?

Me: Yes!

God: Have you ever done it?

Me: Well, I tried. I didn't get very far.

God: You know, I don't have the privilege of doing that. For I AM good and I AM faithful. It's who I am. I never leave and I never forsake so I don't have the ability to just run away in order to test out whether or not I am truly loved. But there are times when I would like to see what people would do if I could and did run. Since I can't run, the only option I have is to pretend. I have to create a fake stage and a fake backdrop and hold it in front of myself so that I can not be seen. I can not speak for I can not lie and to speak would ruin the whole experiment. So I stand behind a fake backdrop in silence trying to make it appear I have left. Why? I want to know I am loved. I want to know I am valued. I want to be sought out. I stand there hoping..."Stay. Please stay. Please find me. Will they? Will they do it? Will they sit and wait in faith that it is fake? Will they come back stage to look for me? Will they love me enough to run after me?" I watch as many people walk away and my heart sinks for they would not pursue me if I were to walk out on them. Nor do they believe that I never would. But then there are a few who sit and look at the fake backdrop that stands in front of my face. They sit waiting in faith for it to lift for they know it is not real. I also see those who simply just run back stage for they know it is a set up. Then I know. I truly know. They really do love me. They really do.

 Could it be the darkest parts of life are really a cry for love from a God who is desperately in love? Just some perspective...