** **, greatly beloved…At My command the heavens were created, and all their starry host by the breath of My mouth. For I spoke, and it came into existence; I commanded, and it stood fast. I nullify the counsel of the nations; I thwart the thoughts and plans of its peoples! But My Own plans stand firm forever, the purposes of My Sovereign will prevail throughout all generations! [Triune God…Ps 33:6, 9-11]
My beloved child…why are you disappointed? Why are you discouraged? Why are you disheartened and disillusioned? You become overwhelmed by these feelings whenever you have purposed in your heart what the results, outcomes, and conclusions of the work you are doing for Me should be, or you presumed what the results will be, or you embraced a preference for what you hoped the results would be…and the results were not what you anticipated or expected.
** **, you have purposed what the results should be, as if you know in your own human wisdom, knowledge, and understanding what is the best, kindest, most loving outcome that could possibly be. And so, you are disappointed when the results are not what you purposed. You presumed to know what the results will be, when I have not told you what will take place. And so, you are disappointed when the results are not what you presumed. You have a preference for what you would like the results to be… and so, you are disappointed when the results are not what you preferred…when they are not what you had wanted. My child, if you hold on to a preference, you will NEVER hear My voice leading and guiding you. You will only hear your own heart giving you your preference, and deceiving you into believing it has come from Me!
Don’t you understand, ** **? In whatever I give you to do to participate in the work of My Holy Spirit, you are not responsible for the results; it is His work, not yours. Your only responsibility is obedience and faithfulness. Obedience and faithfulness to the leading of My Holy Spirit brings the blessings of God; not results. So why are you concerned with results? When your focus is on results, you have subconsciously set up a goal, which then causes you to live a purpose-driven life rather than a Spirit-led life, which then makes what you are doing results-oriented rather than obedience-oriented. Without even realizing it, you have slipped into a life in the power of the flesh! Beloved… a life in the power of the flesh guarantees your failure; it secures your failure because by doing so you have blocked My Holy Spirit and His Power from working through you, with you, in you. My child, you can only live your life either in the Power of the Spirit or in the power of the flesh. You cannot live in both at the same time; it is either one or the other. You cannot serve 2 masters. You can live either a purpose-driven life in the power of your flesh, or a Spirit-led life in the Power of My Holy Spirit.
** **, when you live a purpose-driven life…a life in the power of your flesh…you are like a 2 year old before Me, attempting to make your own decisions and determine your own courses of action! Instead of depending upon Me with an unreserved child-like dependence, you are guilty of self-sufficiency. You have forgotten that apart from Me you can do nothing that is good, or pleasing, or acceptable to Me. Are you so slow to understand? You have no idea of My plans, My purposes, My will! My thoughts are far beyond your thoughts, and My ways far beyond anything you could ever conceive! Just as the heavens soar high above Earth, so My plans are beyond anything you could ever think or imagine!
Beloved, when you live a results-oriented life, you continually evaluate your progress in reaching your goals by looking at the results; results have become both the measure of your progress in attaining your goals and the determining factor as to what you are to do next. If results show you are not coming closer to realizing your goals, then you change or adjust what you are doing accordingly. My child..you are living your life in the power of the flesh rather than in the Power of the Spirit…living your life in reliance upon your human capabilities and capacities, by your own efforts and strength, according to your own wisdom, knowledge, and understanding! And by doing so, you have guaranteed your failure! You say, “But I have called on the Holy Spirit to come help me…to lead me and guide me!” My child…don’t you understand what you have done? You are attempting to make My Holy Spirit your servant, and you have made yourself the master! You have usurped My work and made it your own; you have taken on the responsibility for the results when the reality is that results belong to Me…not to you! Don’t you understand? It is My work, not yours. The results belong to Me, not to you. If My prophets of old had lived their lives in that manner, they would have changed the message I had given them instead of faithfully preaching the words I gave them to speak! If they had evaluated the success of what they were doing by the results, they would have considered themselves utter failures!
For the same reason, ** **, also do not look to results as a confirmation as to whether you are being led by My Spirit and are doing My work and My will. Why would you judge, or evaluate, what you are doing by the results? Are results the lord of your life, or is My Holy Spirit? The work I have given you to do is My work, and I am responsible for the results…not you. Would you be the one who purposes and determines what the results should be? Would you be so presumptuous as to presume to know what the results will be…when I Myself have not told you what they will be? Do you presume to know My mind and My thoughts? Would you embrace a preference as to what you would like the results to be? The preferences of your feeble mind are like that of a two year old before Me; you don’t know what you are choosing!
My child, I have provided My Holy Spirit to abide in you so that you will live a Spirit-led life, not a purpose-driven life. Because you are My child, I have given you the Spirit of My Son to dwell in your heart, and He continually cries out, “Abba, Father!” All who are indeed My children are continually led by My indwelling Holy Spirit! So I counsel you, walk in My Spirit. Watch for Him and wait before Him; look off unto Him and listen for His voice. He will place you where you are to be; He will lead you where you are to go. He will show you what you are to do to participate in My work, give you the thoughts you are to think and to present, the words you are to speak or write. ** **…let your joyful expectation, your excited anticipation, be in witnessing what My plans, purposes, and will is as it unfolds before you…knowing that My plans, purposes, and will are the very best, very kindest, most loving result that could possibly be…even when you don’t understand how that could possibly be. You can trust Me with an unwavering child-like trust in this!
Abba Father, I understand. Help me by the Power of Your enabling grace to fully embrace this. Please keep me from setting up any goal in my life, because if I do so, I am going to try to attain it in the power of my flesh…by my own efforts and in my own strength. I am going to end up living a purpose-driven life…and I will thereby guarantee my failure; I will have secured my failure. I can’t do Your will in the power of my flesh… it is not only impossible, but my sin-enslaved human nature wouldn’t even want to. Desiring to do Your will, as well as being able to do Your will, is Your work, not mine. You alone work in me by Your Holy Spirit both to will and to do. My place is to wait before You, for You to reveal Your plans, purposes, and will for me…so I may then respond with an unquestioning child-like obedience to every leading and prompting of Your Holy Spirit, cooperating with the Power of His enabling grace Who is the One that works in me both to will and to do. I am never to initiate; I am only to respond. It is not in trying but in trusting; not in running but in resting; not in wandering but in waiting; not in pondering but in praying, that I find the strength of my Lord. That is my life, Father; that is what I live for…wholly surrendered unto You, wholly given for the blessing and salvation of souls.
Abide with me:
Preserve Christian Family 