 
Rising Out of Obscurity into a New Life

# Rising Out of Obscurity into a New Life

# By Bridgette M. Kiner

# Rising Out of Obscurity into a New Life

Copyright © 2013 by Bridgette M. Kiner at Smashwords. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed, in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Scripture references taken from the KJV of the bible which is an open publication. Other scripture references taken from NIV and Amplified versions of the bible within guidelines of expressed permission.

Original and modified cover art by Michael L Baird and CoverDesignStudio.com

# Acknowledgments

For Joanne

# Acknowledgments Continued

To my husband; you are such an amazing, loving person. The love & dedication you show on a daily basis is greatly treasured.

To my children; there is no position in my life more praiseworthy than being a mother to two children as wonderful as yourselves. Hands up, reach for the sky!

To my family & loved ones; you have all inspired me in my walk with Christ, thank you & may God bless you one hundred fold.

# Introduction

Rising out of Obscurity into a New Life is for everyone that is ready to live up to the challenge. The challenge sent out by God for all of us to rise out of the unknown and start the journey to an expected end. His desire is that we live a life filled with peace and most of all freedom; freedom to be all that he has called us to be in this life.

God has the power to perform miracles on our behalf and in the lives of others. Rising out of the devastation of our past and our current circumstances will give us the power to lead a new life in Christ Jesus. Not only this, but to lead others to the same outcome by the light that is in us. In doing this, we secure a legacy that cannot be bought nor tainted by anything that would threaten to stop us.

As a wife, mother, and child of God set apart by him for nearly eleven years, there has been enormous opportunity for him to show himself strong in my life. I must say, there is nothing that gives more joy and peace than living a life free in Christ.

As you read this book I pray that it sends a message to your heart. The message that it takes courage, determination, and surrendering our life to God in order for us to see positive and real change take place.

# Table of Contents

Part I: The Unknowns of Life

Chapter One:

The Unknowns of Life

Chapter Two

A Time for Everything

Chapter Three

He Told Me all That I Ever Did

Chapter Four

Getting Your Rest

Chapter Five

An Honest Heart

Chapter Six

Being Free

Chapter Seven

Learning Your Significance

# Table of Contents

Part II: Leaving Obscurity

Chapter Eight

Rising to a New Life

Chapter Nine

The Ruler

Chapter Ten

The King

Chapter Eleven

He Called Out of the Belly of Hell

Part III: The Reality of your Situation

Chapter Twelve

The Root of Evil

Chapter Thirteen

Healing Through the Pain

Chapter Fourteen

Adding Fuel to the Fire

# Table of Contents
Part IV: Enriching Your Faith

Chapter Fifteen

A Measure of Faith

Chapter Sixteen

Walking on Water

# Part I: The Unknowns of Life
# Chapter One

The Unknowns of Life

I don't know one person whose vision of life has not been conflicted by being in a place where the outcome of their future was unknown. This seems to happen at as many stages in life as there are crisis and disappointments. Both know no age and bring about confusion and many times devastation. From losing someone dear to death or divorce, to a career or relationship ending abruptly, we all have encountered a crisis in some aspect of our lives. If we could think back to our golden years, whenever those may be, we may see that our vision of life has played out far differently than we would have imagined.

As we progress in age from childhood, we find that the vision of our lives has been distorted with reality. Out of touch with the vision and dreams we once had, no longer seeing life clearly through the freshness of a child's eyes, we sometimes find ourselves beholding a blurry vision of fallen dreams that is a sight we could never have predicted to see. If you have ever found yourself dealing with "unknowns" you know the feeling. The unknowns of life come into play when the celebrations are over and reality has seemingly given you a shock.

We say to ourselves, "How was I to know life would be like this?" or to others "I did not know my life would turn out this way."

Though life is filled with unknowns, we must begin to realize, as we turn to the only source of our being, it is God and only God that can help us find our way through the unknowns of life.

Had we known our life would be spotted with disappointments, would we have made a better effort to include him in each and every decision we made without him? He is our creator. I am sure there are many that have tried to play the part oh so well, but he is the first and he will be the last.

Many watch and wait for the success of our lives. When it does not pan out the way we have hoped, the events of our lives suddenly become less than noteworthy. There is a feeling of insignificance that comes along with the tragedy of disappointment.

If you have ever felt insignificant, you know how it feels to have a desire to rise out of obscurity. The place called obscurity is a vague place. A foggy place because there are so many directions that you could go, but only one way is suitable. God's way.

When you have tried all that you can; when you have done all that you know to do and even asked others' opinion and come up short, there is still one thing left to do. Seek God for his opinion.

Seeking God's opinion should never be a last resort, we must get used to the idea that it should be the first. God's opinion has more value than anyone we could ask. Even the wisest of counsellors cannot match the wisdom and knowledge of God. Wisdom was with God in the beginning when he created the earth and true wisdom is with him even now.

There is no way for man to know the mind of God, except that he seeks it in his presence. God sits high above the earth and looks down beholding his children. He cares about our situations so much so that he looks into the heart of man. He knows all things. He knows the ins and outs of our lives and current circumstances; the good ones and the bad ones.

One thing we shall always be mindful of is the flawed nature of man. Ever since the dawning of Adam and Eve's sin that nature is ever with us. We are not sometimes wrong because we plan to be, but because we are not God. He has the best view from where he sits and he is holy. God is without blemish and we can never begin to understand his ways. For this reason, it is eminently important that we seek him concerning our lives.

Psalms Chapter 19 Verses 9 and 10 reads "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (KJV)

God's opinion of our lives is a prized possession. The reward of God's opinion is sweeter than the taste of honey from the best honeycomb. If we seek God's assessment and opinion of our lives, the satisfaction that we will acquire will be more enjoyable than anything we could ever imagine partaking of. This is his promise to us.

God always had and still has a plan for your life. It is up to you to attend your ears and your heart to his wisdom. His plan is for you to be included in what he is doing now and today in this world. There is a reason why you are walking the earth. You are not here simply because you were born.

Jeremiah Chapter 1 and Verse 5 says "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

Though God was speaking to Jeremiah the Prophet in this passage of scripture, this holds true for you and me as well. God brought you forth for a special purpose.

Your life may be indistinct and unclear to yourself and even others at times, but I assure you it is impossible for others to really know who you are and who God made you to be unless they are looking at you through his perception. This perception is not something that is given readily. Through this perception, you are recognized only to the experienced. One who has been cultivated by years of experience and somehow God's love and mercy has been engrained into the core of their being. One who has been where you are. They now are able to recognize those walking through the same rough places. They are able to see the possibility that lies on the table for you. The possibility of God doing something new through you and it's predicated on God doing a new work in you.

Your life experiences up to this point are valuable. There is no experience that has been wasted when it comes to your life. Because you have been through the rough places of life, you are now able to help others. God is giving you a testimony. A true testimony enables you to say, "I have been there, but the Lord helped me and he'll help you too." When you are able to testify about your circumstances, you have stepped into a new place in life. The place of an overcomer; one that has come over in to a better place.

I have made up my mind to view the scuffles and the unknowns of life as something that can be used by God. No matter how bad the circumstance looks, I am committed to seeing something positive in its midst.

I remember learning how to do algebraic equations in high school. Though these were hard equations for some, I enjoyed working them because you could always cancel out things to solve them; for every negative there was a positive to cancel it out. Just as we have studied in math; for every negative, there has to be a positive to balance it out. Even if the only positive you can see right now is that you are going to be able to help someone else, that is enough. It's enough to find joy and peace in your circumstance. In doing this, we learn how to give others encouragement and comfort with our testimony as they walk through the rough places of their lives.

It is life choices and our backgrounds that seem to give others a definition of who we are, but God is the only one that knows what you are truly capable of once you entrust your life to him. Begin to think of yourself as a work in progress. You are God's handiwork. God is the potter and you are the clay.

Isaiah 68 and Verse 4 reads, "Yet you, Lord, are our father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands."

A potter must do his work on the clay and shape it and mold it into his masterpiece. God's work on us is never over. He is willing and able to shape us and mold us into the image of his son until the day of his coming.

Masterpieces are not crafted overnight. It takes time and patience on your behalf and others around you. God has all the patience in the world. Patience is a work in itself.

James Chapter 1 and Verse 4 reads, "But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect, and entire wanting nothing."

Patience is a virtue. It is very important in our walk with God. We have to stay on the master's work table long enough for him to do his work and even longer than that because the work will be done until the day we leave to meet him in heaven. It's a perfecting of your life and a conforming of your image into his son's. It's a perfecting of your patience, that you may be entire as his masterpiece.

You may feel like a devastated piece of work not really fit for anything because you have tried to work on yourself. You may have even let others work on you, giving them the job only fit for our father. God is a master when it comes to these sorts of things. He does not make mistakes. Others, if not led by God feel the need to press too hard and in the wrong areas. This may be the cause of the pain you are experiencing in your life; from inexperienced potters trying to mold you into what they wanted you to be.

I assure you God holds the title of the master potter and he knows just what to do with you. He knows how much to add and how much to take away. He knows where the walls of your heart are worn down from the abrasions of life. The master potter knows where to add more clay to make you like new and where to take some away so his masterpiece won't be uneven. He knows how to give you a firm foundation so you can stand up straight and live upright before him, but you, the masterpiece have to trust him.

By these few scriptures we are reminded that we have to allow him to be in control. Our job is merely to stay on the platform and allow him to perform his work. God is shaping you in order of the specific purpose he has in mind for you.

Certain vessels are made for water, some for other things. You must be shaped to fit the capacity of the purpose you have been called to carry out. God had a purpose in mind when he was creating you. He did not make you to simply exist with no direction in life. He did not make us to do man's will for our lives, he made us to do his. His will is being done the moment we decide to get in position on the potter's wheel and throw our hands up and say "I trust you with my life Lord."

Some do not find it easy to trust God because he cannot be seen. There were more than a few people that struggled with the dilemma of trusting God in the bible. Many would not even come to God because they could not trust him.

In Mark Chapter 10 there was a rich young ruler that was one of these people. He had a desire to inherit eternal life and he asked Jesus what he could do to have it. Jesus answered him with commandments. "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, and honor your father and mother." The young nameless ruler quickly retorted "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." Mark 10 and Verse 17 reads "Jesus said to him, One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

The man walked away pained in his heart because he was unwilling to do what Jesus asked of him. Through the young ruler's eyes he had so much, but Jesus wanted to give him so much more. By this we learn there must be a willingness to bid farewell whatever needs bidding in order for us to gain new life in Christ.

There are also some that came to God and entrusted him with their lives, but did not come to like the way God was leading them. They found themselves ready to give up on God, because they were experiencing less than amiable circumstances during the process of their sculpting.

Hebrews Chapter 11, Verse 6 reads "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

It is not enough to only believe there is a God. We must go a step forward in actively pursuing his will for our lives and having faith in him; faith that he will reward us with more faith as we learn to trust him. If not, we will always find ourselves in this place called obscurity because of fear. Fear will always keep us from moving forward, but faith enables us to keep walking even during difficult times.

If you just started on your journey with God, the beginning is never a time to give up. It's a time to trust him even more and have faith that he will bring you out better than you have ever been. The more steps you take, the more you will understand that faith is an enabler. It enables God to lead you and reward you as you seek him even through life's unknowns. You will find that fear will move out of your path as you begin to walk into the life that God had planned out for you even before you were a thought in your parents' mind.

# Chapter Two

A Time for Everything

Growing up in Indiana has given me the wonderful privilege of being able to witness every season of the weather. Autumn is my favorite season. In autumn, all the leaves on the trees begin to turn deep variations of orange and red. It's a beautiful sight to see. As the leaves separate from the branches and fall to the ground, they begin to lose their vibrancy of color. All that is left is a brown lifeless leaf that is only fit for raking in the trash or even burning in the fire.

As another season arrives, the bare tree now has to endure the harshness of frigid temperatures. It's wintertime. What is left is a tree ornamented with a blanket of snow that is whiter than any white you've ever seen in life. I remember waking up early in the morning to look out of the window on snow days. To early morning eyes, the whiteness of fresh snow is enough to shock your vision into reality.

The tree, now bearing no fruit or leaves, is nothing special to look upon, until springtime arrives. In the spring, that same tree blooms with a vibrancy of life and color that cannot be duplicated in any other season.

II Corinthians Chapter 5, Verse 17 reads, "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things have become new."

In order for there to be new life, that same tree had to release the old that was clinging to its branches. As long as we have the old clinging to our lives, we will not give way to the new that God has awaiting us on the other side of this season. How funny would it be to behold a tree that always looked the same no matter what time of year it was? I am sure this is true in some continents of the world, but it must never be true of our lives.

All seasons must operate fully in our lives for us to be productive. The old must pass away, so God can bring new life. This is a part of trusting him. When we see the old begin to fade, we become afraid and try to hold on for dear life. Maybe letting go is the only prerequisite to the vibrancy that God is getting ready to bring into your life. I assure you, it is.

There is a divine progression that must take place in order for us to come to a better place, the place that God ordained for us to be in from the beginning of time.

Ecclesiastes 3 and Verse 3 only confirms this: "To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted."

I believe that God blessed us with this passage of scripture to help us to understand that life is filled with many discrepancies when it comes to a picture perfect life. With life comes many seasons, which include growth and development; even loss.

We often say to ourselves "if I would have known." As if there was a chance for us to change the happenings of this life. It's high time for us to stop wondering about the past and stop nourishing the old things clinging to our lives. Your losses and your blessings are both working together for your good. This is why we don't have to be alarmed during the hard seasons of life because we know that God is leading us into something so much greater than we could ever have imagined.

Romans Chapter 8 and Verse 28 says: "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose."

God wants to be a partner in all that you do. Especially, all that you do to glorify him. Glorifying God simply means calling attention to what he has already done for us so that others will believe in him as well. In doing this, all things fit into a plan for good to come to you because you love him and because he has called you to be a part of his divine plan.

We celebrate God for his goodness and his great mercy towards us, but we do not often celebrate his sovereignty. God does whatever he pleases, whenever he pleases and he is more than able to make your life productive.

As a great gardener in a field of plants walking about with his pruning shears, God desires to improve your life by sometimes cutting away. Pruning is a practice taken up by the worthiest of gardeners and it is very important for a plant's optimum growth. It is the selective removal of parts of plants and it takes place at many growth stages. As we grow and mature, God must select areas of our lives that must be cut away for us to be productive. Though sometimes a painful procedure, it too is working together for the best outcome.

No matter how dim the season, be assured that is it safe to trust God. God's wisdom goes far back into time with him. Wisdom was with God in the beginning when he laid the foundations of the earth according to Proverbs Chapter 3 and Verse 19. In other words, he knows what he's doing and he has a better view of your life than you do. He sees it from beginning to end. Your life is an open book to God, showing all the pages at once, and he is the author of that book.

Knowing this, let go of what has died, embrace what is in the present, and hope in God for a better future. There is a time and a season for everything. By this, we are able to hope in God for the vibrancy of our springtime and trust him in times of pruning.

If you are walking through a rough season in life, be assured that joy is just around the corner. I want you to know that even in these times God has not left your side. He is always there. Trusting him and his words in the bible will give you a better understanding of who he desires to be in your life. His desire is to give you the strength to walk through the rough places of life and come out on the other side with the victory. The key is to always remember that our victory is in him, even when we cannot find it within ourselves.

# Chapter Three

" _He told me all that I had ever did"_

John Chapter 4 Verses 1 through 42 house the story of the nameless "woman at the well." It is one of the most profound texts one could ever read. Here is a woman coming to obtain water from a well, as she does every day. However, today was the day she would meet the son of God.

Here is Jesus sitting on a well, tired from the day's journey and a woman approaches to obtain water. A journey taken not only for a nameless woman, but to break the mold for many to come after and to save much people from themselves; from a sin filled life to gain a new life in him.

The setting of the story, was not just any well; it was Jacob's well, which had been dug by Jacob many years earlier to provide water for his household and flocks. Jacob, as a forefather, was seen even on this day as a great provider for his children, but the city would come to know one that is so much greater and it was Jesus.

At this time in history, the Jews did not have dealings with the Samaritans. There had been a cultural divide. We see this many times in our world today. So many separated by cultural differences and diversity that they fail to see that it is what makes us different that God intended to bring us together and make up the body of Christ. Jesus wanted us to know this was not at all the will of our father.

As we turn our attention toward the woman; it is safe to say she had suffered defeats in her lifetime; five we know of for sure. She had, had five husbands and she was now living with a man who was not her husband. With her marriages broken and another man waiting on her at home, she was now living life defeated.

We all have suffered defeats in one area of our lives that have threatened to put us on the sideline. During times of defeat, our lives have the tendency of going from bad to worse because we often don't know how to fix what was broken in the first place. More often than not, it's not our relationships that are broken. It is something in us that has been broken at some point, that we never allowed God to heal.

Who knows the reasons behind all of her broken marriages. Maybe it was a fragmented spirit. Maybe the men in her life needed a spiritual drink themselves and desired of her to fill a need that could not be filled by anyone, but Jesus.

There are so many broken people in this world today and the only choice they believe they have is to wander their lives broken from place to place, relationship to relationship.

I believe Jesus stopped for this woman for so many reasons. He stopped for all the fragmented people who felt like the only choice they have in life is to wander unchanged by his power. He stopped for the cultural differences in this world. He stopped to set the record straight.

Out of all the things we tend to care about in this world from day to day, Jesus never cared about those things. All that concerned Jesus was his father's business, and that was healing and saving them that were lost in life. Lost on purpose; lost by their own sinful desires; lost.

Jesus did not care who this woman was or where she had been. He did not care that she was a Samaritan or that she was a woman. He did not even care that she had been espoused to five husbands. He went to sit on the well at the sixth hour of the day as she approached to draw water and merely said to her "Give me to drink."

Jesus asking this woman for a drink was not customary in anyone's eyes; especially this woman's.

"How is it that thou being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews do not even have dealings with the Samaritans." she notes in Verse 9. Yes, she was a Samaritan, but she was not out of his love's reach.

Jesus said to her in Verse 10: "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

Jesus was the gift of God; in the flesh. Sent down to be like us for one reason; to save us. How many times does he knock on the doors of our hearts and we fail to answer because we don't know him as "the gift?" How many times does he sit on the well of our hearts and wait for us to ask him for a drink of the life God has given us? He is God's gift to all of humanity without discrimination, the price being a willing heart.

Jesus never addressed the differences that she perceived kept her from him. Neither will he do that with you. All he wanted to talk about was the gift of God. It was all that mattered to him; the saving of souls; the will of his father.

She then wanted to know where he was going to get this water, seeing that he had nothing to draw it with and asked him is he greater than Jacob their father that built them the well.

Jesus then says to her in Verses 13 and 14, "whosoever drinks this water shall thirst, but the water I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

She came to the well because of a natural thirst every day. Could it be there was a thirst in her soul that was causing her to go through so many marriages? Every single person in the bible that came to Jesus had a need in his or her life. Be it sickness, disease, mental illness, or emotional brokenness; they all had a need. What is your need today? Where is the thirst in your soul coming from? If you continue to drink waters from your own well that you have to draw out day by day, you will continue to thirst. Jesus has living water for your soul and healing for your need.

Jesus asked her to go get her husband. The woman being honest, confessed her life's burden to Jesus with one statement. "I have no husband." He agreed and said "Thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not your husband." By this she perceived he was a prophet. After all how could he have known about what had been plaguing her soul for so many years? Jesus knew all about it. Even what we are ashamed to tell others, he knows.

As the story progresses, her heart began to identify with who it was she was actually talking to. This woman began to thirst for living water and she asked Jesus for it.

As the woman expressed faith in a savior who was coming Jesus finally told her who he was. She dropped her water pot. She no longer wanted water from the well. She had just received living water from Jesus. It was like a well of joy springing up in her soul just like he said. She ran off to tell people "Come and meet a man that told me all that I ever did, is this not the Christ?"

She had forgotten about that man that was at her house that was not her husband. All she could do was go tell others that she had met the Christ and she wanted them to meet him too.

Many Samaritan people came back to meet Jesus that day because of this woman's testimony and believed in him also. The bible says whosoever believeth in his heart that Jesus is Lord and confesseth with is mouth, he shall be saved. This woman believed in her heart and ran to confess to everyone she knew. She used her testimony to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ saying "Come meet a man that told me all that I ever did."

If she was alive today, she would probably tell you the same. Jesus tends to have that effect on people. If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and personal savior as of yet let me take you through this prayer of salvation: Lord, I know that I was born a sinner. I accept your son, Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal savior. Forgive me of my sins and make me clean. Come into my heart, come into my life in Jesus' name. Amen.

# Chapter Four

_Getting your Rest_

Our relationship with God is like a strong castle that must be built with the best of materials and the firmest foundation. Once built, it is like a fortress that is able to stand before the fiercest of enemies and even through time. Our relationship with God, if tended to continually, becomes a mighty fortress for us and a dwelling place especially in times of trouble.

Psalms 46 and Verse 11 reads: The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold).

God is a dwelling place for us; a high tower and a refuge and he wants us to see him as such. He towers over us and covers us during the hard times. We can run to him and be safe.

During the seasons of our lives that are most unpleasant there is a natural instinct for us to want to escape it all.

Psalms 55 and Verse 6 says: "And I say, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest."

I remember times when I could have identified with the Psalmist. I have heard people say, "If I knew today was going to be like this, I never would have gotten out of bed." We think that if we could escape what is causing us pain or distress that our spirits will somehow be at rest. We must get used to the idea that our rest is in God.

Matthew 11 and Verse 18 says: "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest."

One of the most important things I have learned during my walk with God in Jesus Christ is to learn how to rest in him. We all have to labor at some point in time in our lives. Be it to put food on the table or to be a servant for Christ. We must not allow ourselves to get overburdened and heavy-laden with life. God never intended for this to happen. If we don't find rest in his presence each day, we are unable to perceive what God is doing, neither what he would have us to do.

Our relationship should always be at the forefront of our lives. We must not neglect our meditations, for these are the times where we hear his voice and are able to gain knowledge and wisdom that is only from above. Your relationship sets the tone for your day, it even sets the tone for your work in ministry to come forth.

We don't have to figure out what God wants us to do in ministry, there is a time and a season that God has ordained for that to spring forth. It is up to us to allow our gifts and abilities to be stirred up by the presence of God in fellowship, prayer, and in our bible readings. Isaiah 26 and 12 says that God has already wrought in us and for us our works. He has mapped out everything already, but we must have a relationship with him to know what those works are.

Hebrews 4 and Verse 9 reads: "So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the people of God;"

His people, who cease from their own works and accept the righteousness that he has given through his son Jesus Christ will have rest. Ceasing from your works also means ceasing from your proclivity to make yourself acceptable in God's sight. Sometimes the work that we do in the natural, has already been done by God in the spirit. Find rest in the fact that Jesus paved the way for us to be acceptable in God's sight.

Many times, I set out to buy something to eat or drink; coffee at a local place and even lunch at a restaurant. When I got to the drive through window to pay, I was told that my purchase had already been paid for by the car in front of me. Though I was a bit flustered and trying to imagine what car the person was in that was performing random acts of kindness that day so I could give a wave of a thank you, it dawned on me that God shows his kindness through his people. I'm sure that person being kind to others has a special blessing on the way from their father.

Most importantly, what would it look like if I had not accepted the fact that my drink or my lunch or my coffee was already paid for and tried to pay for it anyway? This is what we tend to do sometimes when we try to earn the righteousness of God instead of resting in the righteousness of his son. The next time you feel like earning the love of God remember that it was paid for many moons ago before you got to that place in time. You can rest in the fact that he's got you covered.

We also find rest reserved for us in fellowship with him and in fellowship with other believers. This is time that we completely set apart to worship him and hear from him, but most importantly to rest in him. This is his desire for us.

1 Peter Chapter 5 and Verse reads: "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for he cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."

We love to cast our cares on others that probably will never care as much as we do about our lives. Jesus wants you to cast your cares and all of your anxieties, worries, and concerns once and for all on him. He cares for you affectionately (with love and tenderness) and watchfully. God is closely observant and alert to what is going on in your life even at this moment. This becomes a comfort to us, knowing that he is attending to our lives and he knows all about our struggles. What we don't realize at times is that God is the only one that has the power to actually change our situations. So we waste precious time worrying and trying to solve the puzzle of a lifetime and God holds all the pieces. We merely need to abide in Jesus.

John 15 and Verse 4 reads "Abide in me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me." We need to make Jesus our resting place that we may bear the fruit of righteousness. As you abide in him, your life will begin to progress far past anything you could ever bring to pass on your own. Especially, when you cease from your own work and your work is now in him like he meant it to be from the beginning.

As we become one with God and we allow his Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in life, we will find that our desires become his and his ours. We also find that nothing in life is as burdensome as it would be had we not committed ourselves to living in him and dwelling in his presence.

God's eyes are on us and when we take our eyes off of him, we are unable to find rest. It is in keeping our eyes on him that we realize what is important in life. By this, we are enlightening our belief in him with the promises he has made to us.

We often feel negatively about our lives because we do not see it God's way as of yet. We need his presence and his opinion of our lives. He wants to give us a new way of living; a new way of thinking. He wants to show us who he says we are, delivering to us a changed perspective. God's deepest desire is to give you a life that is pleasing to him and make good on what he promises. It is in applying this concept to our lives that we find the rest that we have been seeking; rest for our souls.

I am mindful of the story of Mary and Martha found in Luke Chapter 10. Martha welcomed Jesus, along with his disciples, into her home to serve them. As she clamored about making preparations for them, her sister Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened as he ministered. This angered Martha. After all she was making all of the preparations while Mary was just sitting there and she let Jesus know it. She said "Lord, is it nothing to you that my sister has left me to serve alone?"

I think we would have expected Jesus to say "Mary, help your sister." He did not.

There is a time to work. There is also a time to rest and hear what the Lord has to say to us that will bring clarity to our lives and healing to our hearts.

Jesus took this moment to minister to Martha. She was troubled and anxious in her soul about serving, but what her soul needed was to sit at the feet of Jesus, just as Mary had done. He replied "Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful;" He went on to say "Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."

I believe Jesus was speaking of the importance of his presence and his words on that evening. Mary chose to indulge her attention in her savior, rather than busy her soul with worry and anxiousness.

At times, we find ourselves busy with service and overwhelmed by presence and prestige when it is our duty as children of God to find ourselves at his feet each day. It is what we gain in God's presence in prayer and reading our bible that shall permeate our hearts and give us the strength we need to serve others.

Mary had something so much more than a reputation of Jesus eating the best dinner at her house because when he walked out of the door; that would be lost. She had a heart that was filled with his words as she gazed upon him and listened at his feet. When it comes to us it is just the same; this is what is needful; this is the good part; to find rest in his presence.

# Chapter Five

An Honest Heart

Though we may not always feel like bearing our hearts before men, we must ever be ready to surrender in honesty to God. There is nothing more needed in his presence than honesty. An honest prayer can move more mountains than a rehearsed, regurgitation or a spectacle of dishonest worship.

God already knows what is in our hearts, therefore we can always come to him free of reservations and fears. You may say to yourself, "Why does God want me to tell him what he already knows?" It is not for him, it is for you.

There is a strong need for us as a people to cry out of the depths of our souls after holding it in for so long. Some of us have lived a life filled with regrets, hurts, and disappointments. These hurts run so deep that we are able to keep them hidden by smiles and laughs. They are only voiced when the pain becomes unbearable and they show up in the discrepancies of our lives.

There is an honest cry that will lift years and layers of burdens off of your life; an honest cry to God. God knows that some of us don't know how to pray. This is why Jesus led us in the Lord's Prayer hundreds of years ago.

As a child, I learned this prayer myself and said it at night before sleeping. It is to give us a reference point of where to start in our conversation with God. The Lord's Prayer is found in Matthew Chapter 6, Verse 9 through 13 and it teaches us how to pray. As we say these words over and over again, we come to the realization that the whole point is to come to a place of appreciation of who he is and to make our petitions known. As you say this prayer before you know it, you will begin to add your own words, you will begin to pray out of your heart what has been kept on the inside; what others do not know nor see. This is his desire for all men. To have a place to come to where we can be honest.

Indeed, it is the truth that sets us free. What is in our hearts is the truth of who we are, where we have been, and where we desire to go in life. Praying honestly to God gives us a chance to rise out of the obscurity of our past. We must also know that the Holy Spirit helps us even in this.

Romans Chapter 8 and Verse 26 reads: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

God wants us to know that when we make an attempt to make known the years that we have kept so silent he is there and he hears. God's spirit helps our spirits to communicate what we cannot often put into words.

The truth is, we all need an honest moment every given day of our lives. An honest cry; an honest conversation with God. God will call out of your spirit what your mind and mouth can't put into words.

I have seen many worship the Lord and just weep before him. Though it may be saddening to some, we must understand that this is our soul's communication method to God. Once you get into his presence you will be surprised at what happens and what comes out that you yourself did not even know was hidden.

God understands how you feel, when no one else does. God is always with you and his thoughts are always with you too. God's thoughts of you are as many as the sands on the seashores of the world according to Psalms Chapter 139, Verse 18, because he never sleeps. He is always thinking of you; finding ways, watching and waiting to be good to you. He says in Jeremiah Chapter 29, Verse 11 "I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

We walk around feeling as if we are not good enough to come into his presence and we allow feelings of inadequacy to keep us from having a relationship with God. He tells us clearly what his thoughts about us are, "My thoughts of you are of peace and not evil." God's thoughts about us stem from his love for us, not from any other place.

The conclusion that we can draw from his word is that he loves us and he wants what is best for us. Let me rephrase; he knows what is best for us. A lot of times it is not our lives that we are struggling with. It is ourselves.

I have found when I am bothered by life the most, an honest prayer puts me in a place of contentment and a place where I am ready to receive what God has for me in that season of my life. Most of the time, all we really need is to see things God's way, but if we never go to him we will always be disappointed by what we expect to see.

Many people in the bible were honest with God. He desires a relationship with you and an honest one.

Adam and Eve made a mistake in the garden and they made it worse by trying to hide from God. He already knew. It is impossible to surprise him. Can you imagine struggling with something and your parents later finding out and saying, "Why didn't you tell me?"

I wonder how different this world would be had Adam and Eve not tried to cover their mistake. If they had gone to God and said, "We messed up, please forgive us."

Lamentations 3 and Verse 23 reads: Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

God's mercy towards us is new and fresh every morning. This is in no wise to neglect an upright life, but it is to come to terms with the times we get off course. Once we repent today, he does not hold on to the sin of yesterday and if something bad happens tomorrow, we don't have to worry about him bringing up our past. As far as the east is from the west, God separates our sins from us in his sight, totally and completely once we have repented according to Psalms Chapter 103, Verse 12. God's mercy towards us is not only for sin, it is for whatever you are feeling at any given point in your life.

According to Hebrews Chapter 4, Verse 6 we can come boldly before God's throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help us in times of need. We can come to God boldly whenever we need him for whatever reason. No matter what. No shame, just boldness. A bold, honest prayer keeps you in a place of integrity before God and in a place to receive what he has for you. Indeed, we all need more honesty in our hearts towards God. This starts with honest prayer and honest worship at home or wherever you see fit. What is done out of sight will definitely show when you come out of your secret place. It will begin to overflow into the lives of others around you and the joy that you find while in his presence cannot be duplicated in any other manner.

I challenge you to allow God to give you a passion for prayer and worship. Remember that it is in him that you live and move and have your being and that we truly can do nothing without his presence and opinion at the forefront of our lives.

# Chapter Six

Being Free

I love the ocean. God made it and all the creatures therein with beauty in mind. The waves seem to move on a rhythm all their own. If you watch them long enough, their movement becomes a song. I enjoy sitting on the seashore and allowing the water to creep up as the waves crash and splash cool water on a hot summer day. Some like to stay on the shore just the same and others, like my husband, love to venture out into the ocean and allow the water to immerse them.

Water is a very powerful force that has the strength to carry anything, especially if unstable. This is my reasoning for staying safe on the shore. I love the stability of the sand.

Are you the type of person that likes stability? I think we all do at some point. I could even go so far as to say we like having complete control of our lives. We love to be in control and if there is anything that threatens to take away our control, at times we panic. This is why we struggle early on in our relationship with God with trusting him. In order to fully trust him we have to let go of everything we feel "should be" so that we can discover all that he has in store for us.

People that like to stabilize themselves in a position on the shore never experience the wonders and excitement of the great ocean that their relationship with God could be. They end up wondering what their life could be like if they would move off the shore. As they gaze out into the ocean and even watch others having fun, they come to wonder what it's like to be free. They never get to behold the wonder and amazement of treasures that lie in wait for them because they are afraid to move with God. The moment they feel uncomfortable with doing something or giving up something, they go back to shore. What is your shore? Could it be a situation or a habit that keeps you from God's best for your life?

I remember snorkeling with my husband off the coast of Jamaica last year. As we cruised to our location and got off the boat, his excitement immediately took him into the wonderland of the reefs and the beautiful fish that were swimming around. I was keen on spending most of my time close to the boat. After all we were in a habitat that could very well have some dangerous animals; it was the ocean. My husband, as adventurous as he is, took my hand and pulled me along with him. As I looked down into the reefs and saw the colorful fish and plants, the feeling that I had was excitement and terror all at the same time. The terror was fear of the unknown. "What was waiting on me inside of those reefs?" I thought.

We all have fear of the unknown. If I venture out away from my safe place where will this lead me? If I leave this shore, what will I do out there?

Many of God's children feel this fear. The children of Israel felt this fear. We see it many times in the bible. The farther away they got from Egypt the more uncomfortable they got and wanted to turn back. They felt that the journey was much harder than just staying someone else's slave. After all, if they weren't slaves anymore who were they now? We have all struggled with this concept. We are afraid to let go of situations that have enslaved us, to gain who God says we are now. The children of Israel were not slaves, they were much more than that. They were God's chosen people; a royal priesthood.

I felt on that day while swimming in the ocean, I am afraid, but this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. It warmed my heart because I knew it was a lesson God was teaching me about being free. The lesson I learned that day was to trust God. The more you trust him, the more you will be willing to experience the beauty he has awaiting you.

God also uses the differences in others to help us along the path to being free in him. This is why our fellowship with other believers is so important. If my husband would not have been so free in the water that day, I don't know if I would have had the courage to be also. Sometimes we need others to show us the way to freedom. Many times we allow our differences to separate us from others, but it is God's will for us to complement one another in a special and loving way.

Don't stay on the shore, don't even stay by the boat. There is a great adventure called life waiting on you beyond your fears. If you never swim, you will never get to go snorkeling. If you never go snorkeling, you can never go scuba diving to get an up close and personal look at God's goodness.

You may have met your fears already and you feel as though they defeated you. I challenge you to go back. Only this time, meet your fears with a courage and strength that only God can give you. You will find, that those same fears that defeated you years ago were nothing compared to what God is able to do in your life.

It is in our fellowship with God through prayer, bible reading, and attending worship with other believers that we learn to get comfortable and free. No matter what your background in life, there is always room for growth and realizing the freedom that is in Christ.

I can't wait to go snorkeling again. If I never would have gone snorkeling, I would not have ever been prepared to go scuba diving. It is in the snorkeling that you learn how to be free in the water and to let go of your fear of the unknown so that you can venture into the ocean.

Every step we take with God is preparation for something new. We just have to be willing to take the steps with him and in doing this we rise out of the bondage that has been holding us into a new perspective and a changed life. It is in doing this that our lives become less and less obscure.

I ascended out of the ocean a changed person that day. I am sure when you face your fears with God you will arise changed as well; never to be the same again.

It is God's will that we walk with him each day through our fears, through every reservation that we have about life. In doing this, we walk from faith to faith and we begin to grow in him. As you walk, others will begin to see the light of his power at work in you. They will begin to wonder and even ask what has brought about this great change in your life. It is this moment when you will be able to look back to where you have come from and share not what, but who has brought about this enormous change in your life. You will be able to share your faith. In doing this, you will be sharing a savior and his name is Jesus. This is God's will and his desire for our lives; that we change lives every day, even as we are changed.

# Chapter Seven

Learning your Significance

I want you to know that you are significant. The word significant means of great importance. You are significant and a part of God's plan. Just because you don't feel like it does not mean that you are not. Just because people don't often treat you like it, does not mean that you are not. You have to know your importance to God before you can clearly understand your purpose in life.

First, I must tell you what you are not. You are not a pitiful person that has to wait on the sidelines and beg for God's blessings. The bible tells us in Matthew Chapter 7, Verse 7 "Keep on asking and it shall be given unto you."

God does not want us to beg him, but he does want us to be serious and persistent with him. He desires for us to continue to have faith and believe that he will do what he says he will.

2 Peter Chapter 1, Verse 4 says that God has given us great and precious promises. Notice the words great and precious. Great means something big and wonderful. Precious means that they are of value to God and they are of great value to us. Many live their whole lives not knowing what God has promised to them. The promises that God gave to us through his inspired, written word emanate from his mind. There is no describing God's mind and his wisdom. These promises originated with him and he gives them to us because he loves us. They are very attainable if we seek after them.

Some of these promises are described as benefits. God graces us with many benefits. According to Psalms 103 they are healing, grace, deliverance, and redemption. He redeemed your soul from a fiery hell.

God would like to not only see us embrace all that he has given us, but to live a thankful life. Living a thankful life is doing his will and walking upright before him because the love in our hearts gives way to appreciation.

So what do we say then because of all these things God has done for us? The scripture puts it well in Psalms 116; the Psalmist asks the question "what shall I render unto the Lord for all of his benefits towards me?" What shall we give him in return as if we could ever make good on what he has already done for us, knowing that we can't. What shall we do?

"I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

You have to make up your mind that you will live for him. Because of all that God has done for me, the Psalmist says, I will walk before him, meaning I will walk the earth so he can see me living before him. I will live a life that is pleasing unto the Lord because Jesus, his son was cut out of the land of the living so that I could live; a life in exchange for a life. Dare we waste this precious gift and squander it away letting years pass us by not living in the fullness that Christ has to offer us?

So the Psalmist continues in Psalms 116 "I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord and be thankful."

We all could take this same attitude. Is a relationship with God as simple as accepting the gift and calling upon his name? It sure is. He wants us to call on his name each and every day craving a relationship with him. I have often heard others say that it's the relationship (with God) that counts and nothing else matters. I have found this to be true. It is in having a relationship with our father that we come to know our significance to him.

You are so significant that God put together a plan to redeem you hundreds of years before you were even born. He sent down his son, whom he loved, to be birthed of a women to show you the way and to later save you. It was not trouble for him because he loves you. Isaiah Chapter 53, Verse 10 says, "It pleased him [God] to bruise him [Jesus]" because he loves you and would give anything for you.

So I ask the question, what will you do today knowing how significant you are to God? How different will you walk around today knowing what God did for you? Will you walk with your head held high knowing in your heart that you are significant? Will you allow your perspective to be changed by these twelve words?

"I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

In doing this you are saying "God I appreciate what you have done for me."

What shall we give in exchange for our life? Nothing. God is pleased when we love him and worship him in awe and appreciation for the precious promises he has made available to us.

Make up your mind today that you will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. No more being down in the dumps because I know that God loves me and I am important to him.

No more depression, no more guilt, no more shame because God provided a lamb for your salvation. You are pleasing in his sight. The righteousness that is of Jesus could never be duplicated, but this is why he gave his life for you. Your salvation is a finished work. Let his grace and love cover you as you begin to accept it. In doing this, we find the greatest joy and we find the sweetest peace. Not only this, but we find rest for our souls; a rest that could never be duplicated by any other. We find love that is unconditional, that has no motives, nor intentions; love that is pure and love that can certainly stand the testing of time and the testing of your downfalls as you hope and believe in him each day to guide you on your path of righteousness. Perfection is not needed to be pleasing to the Lord. All that is needed is a love for him and a desire. He will do the rest. Know your significance today and let it lead you to the paths of righteousness.

# Part II: Leaving Obscurity
# Chapter Eight

Rising to a New Life

You may have people all around you that talk to you every day, but they do not really know who you are. They don't know what is on the inside of you waiting to come out.

We have all heard the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." We have no way of knowing the entirety of someone else's struggles. In fact, they may be closer than the natural eye can see to coming out strong.

Two of my most favorite people in the bible are David and Joseph. This is because they went through so much during their lifetime, but through it all God was right there with them and he brought them out victorious. This is his desire for us as well.

Joseph went through many struggles throughout his existence only to find himself where he dreamed he would be all along. David went through many levels of obscurity in life as well. There were many times where David almost lost his life and his kingdom because of the desires of his enemies. God had mercy on David again and again. There is no limit to God's mercy and protection. He would not allow the enemies' plan to prosper because David was favored by God.

Joseph, finding himself in a prison and David finding himself on the run and living in a cave at what he thought was supposed to be one of the best times in his life had to be unreal. I wonder what they had to be thinking at these dark times in their lives. These are the times where you would be tempted to say to yourself, "How is God with me?" Well, the very fact that you are alive and breathing is a testament to the fact that God is with you. The very fact that you are being sought after so fiercely is a testament that God is with you. There are many afflictions of the righteous man according to Psalms 34 and Verse 19, but God will deliver him out of them all.

Have you ever been delivered? I have been delivered many times over and this is what lets me know that God has not left my side and I can trust him with my life.

When we see the enemy spreading himself all around us and in great power, then we look again and our enemy is defeated; this is God's doing. God is going to defeat the enemies of your life in time and you will look for them and you won't be able to find them according to Psalms Chapter 37.

Through it all, we must have faith in God and know without a shadow of a doubt that we will rise out of the pain of our past. Out of the pain of obscurity and uncertainty. This takes faith and it takes courage.

II Corinthians 4 and Verse 17 reads: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

You may be experiencing difficulties at the moment, but what God has in store for you far out measures what you are going through right now.

We cannot be afraid to walk with God through the good, the bad, and the ugly, because it is in being obedient to his plan that we allow God to slay what has been holding us back.

We are often provided with opportunities to take our position and authority, but because of fear of life always being the same, we let these opportunities pass us by.

Be the courageous one today. Be the one that says I will not be afraid to go all the way with God because he is bigger than my circumstances.

It is what we find written in the scriptures that helps us to build our faith in God when we are seeking a new life. They will give you the courage you need to make it the whole way.

Success does not happen overnight, but you just may be one battle away from slaying the enemy of obscurity that has been agitating your life only to realize how important you were to God's plan.

# Chapter Nine

The Ruler

Joseph was a young man who had many brothers, but was well favored by his father and God. Joseph's father made him a coat of many colors because of his love for him. God had also gifted him with dreams and later, the interpretations of dreams. While Joseph was yet maturing he had two dreams that neither he nor anyone else could understand.

When he told these dreams to his brothers, this earned him the nickname of "the dreamer." Not knowing what the dreams truly meant, Joseph's brothers despised him because by their own interpretation the dreams meant he would rule over them some day.

One day Joseph's father sent him after his brothers while they were out working. When they saw Joseph coming afar off, they conspired to kill him. When he came close, they ripped off his coat of many colors and threw him into a pit. Their jealously of him enraged them so much that they could not stand for him to be walking the earth.

When God made man, he put all things under his feet, but Joseph's brothers had a desire to put him under their feet because of the sin that was in their own hearts. Desiring to strip him of his favor, they stripped him of his coat, not knowing that his favor was not in an article of clothing; it was with him because God was with him.

Sometimes people cast us aside because of their own fear of what God is doing in our lives. They were so uncomfortable with Joseph's favor; they put him in a pit, much like a grave. In bible days this was known as the place of "sheol" or the place of the dead. They literally put him into an early grave as they conspired all the more to kill him. God had mercy on Joseph. They ended up selling him into slavery instead and told their father Joseph had been ravaged by a wild animal, as they showed him the coat filled with blood of a goat they had slain. They did not see their brother for many years and had no idea what had become of him.

I wonder if this satisfied them to see the will of their hearts take place before their eyes or did this become a prison knowing the lies they told and the great pain they caused their father as he lived on mourning for his beloved son.

Joseph went through many things because of the favor that was on his life. We all have a God-given destiny to fulfill with our gifts and abilities. Your destiny is the very reason the enemy is coming after you. He does not want you to make it past your level of obscurity because once you do you will know your very reason for your existence.

Joseph's brothers cast him off like he was unimportant, but the very person they cast off as being unimportant was the very person their family would need later to survive. As their family survived, a savior was brought forth out of their lineage, Jesus.

God always has a plan. We may not know why our lives are happening the way they are, but soon very soon, God will make it clear why you had to experience all you have in your life.

There is a lesson to be learned for all in this story. It all worked together for the good of Joseph and his family.

Neither Joseph, nor his brothers knew God's plan. Joseph's life experiences were not his fault. God knew a famine was coming in the land years later and God had to send Joseph away ahead of his family to put him in charge over the land of Egypt. By doing this, Joseph's own family would not die of starvation. In trying to kill Joseph his brothers would have killed themselves and cutoff Jesus' lineage. God would not have allowed this to happen.

Joseph was well favored by God, he was a servant, then he went to prison, then he got promoted to a king's palace because of this. You might say to yourself how is a servant favored by God? Joseph was so favored by God, no matter where he went he always rose to the top. Even as a servant he was in charge of his master's house. He ended up going to prison because of a lie, but even in the prison he was favored by God and his dreams once again gained him favor.

While he was in prison with the Pharaoh's baker and butler they had dreams and Joseph interpreted their dreams. The dreams of course came true and many years later Pharaoh himself had a dream and Joseph was brought out of prison to interpret that dream. By the power of God, he did and was promoted to rule over Egypt.

During the famine Joseph's father sent his brothers to Egypt to find food. Joseph was now in charge over the whole land of Egypt. They came before Joseph, but they did not even recognize him. They thought he was a stranger that was going to punish them for what they had done to their brother years earlier.

It is funny how they were standing in front of Joseph and the thought of what they had done to him came to their remembrance even though they had no idea it was him. Even as Jesus hung on the cross he said "Forgive them for they know not what they do." People do not often come to the realization of what they have done until it is too late.

Joseph's brothers gave him a title too early. They thought they knew who he was. Only God knows who we truly are and knows our title. Only a fool speaks on things when they have not let time take its course to bring to ferritin what really is to be because God always has the final say.

I know you have been counted out. Most of us have been counted out and labeled too early in life for people to really know who they are dealing with.

People will nickname you a dreamer. One who simply has dreams that will never be reality. God made you to be a ruler. Many like Joseph's brothers make the mistake of judging you before it is time. It is up to us to show Christlike behavior and be quick to forgive because this honors God. We must come to the realization that some things had to happen in order for our lives to line up with what God had planned.

When you come out of obscurity no one is going to recognize you. You will be a new person. This however, will be a true testament of who you really were all along. What God already knew was on the inside of you that others could not discern.

Joseph summed the situation up in one sentence in Genesis 45 and Verse 7 "And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance."

He had risen out of obscurity. He sent for his family and forgave them and provided for them during the famine. Joseph had been proved by God to be a vessel of honor and he had risen out of obscurity.

Just because you have been promoted does not mean that you have risen out of obscurity. We must prove that we are who we say we are in Christ by how we treat people when we come out. This is a testament of the work that has really taken place in our hearts.

Joseph leaving his home many years ago was not really his home after all. The favor on his life was leading him to his new home as a ruler. We often feel as though the places we have to leave are our homes, but if we change our perspective we will realize that God's favor will lead you to your true home. A destiny that will be so much more pleasing to your eyes.

# Chapter Ten

The King

David was a shepherd boy who also had many brothers. David was a very special lad in the eyes of God and this is why later, he was anointed King of Israel. He could be described in his early years as a shepherd boy who was ruddy in appearance, meaning that he more than likely had red hair and freckles in his tender teenage years and it says he was goodly to look to in the eyes of God. This is a very important characteristic when it comes to God because this means God knew he could trust him.

Once day when David was keeping the sheep, the Prophet Samuel came to find a king at David's father's house. All David's brothers were lined up before Samuel and none of them were pleasing to God. It had crossed none of their minds to consider David after all he was only a shepherd boy and could not possibly be God's King. After Samuel was prompted by God to reject all of David's brothers he said, "Is there another?" David was fetched and anointed King. God had many choices, but only one proved to have the right heart in his sight.

Obscurity is the very reason that although we are very capable we are not considered. God knows our heart and God knew David's heart that he would be a great king, a king that would trust and love him.

As David looked after the sheep and fed them and saved them from lions and bears, God was watching him. His brothers were out fighting battles and doing all sorts of manly things that required muscles and ego, but not David. He was in his quiet pasture honing the sheep. When he was yet considered to be weak, he was protector of the weak.

It is not safe to say that God could not be calling you because of the smallness of your life right now. God calls the weak things of the world to shame the strong according to I Corinthians Chapter 1, Verse 27. This was something so simple as shepherding sheep, but because of his trust in God, it made him able to lead a nation.

Everyone knows the story of David and Goliath, this is the very story that gave birth to a turning point in David's life and showed who he was.

David's father sent him with food to his brothers as they were arrayed in battle one day. As David heard the threatening words of Goliath, a man who was considered to be a giant and very skilled in war, he understood his purpose. His brothers not understanding his purpose in life and who God made him to be accused him of coming down to the battle to be naughty.

David's brothers did not yet respect his level of authority because they were given no reason to. After all he was considered to be under them. He was probably younger than them and his responsibilities were not seen to be as important.

David was not afraid of Goliath. Everyone else, including the whole Army of Israel, were all afraid of Goliath.

I can see David turning suddenly as he heard the insults of Goliath and saying "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?"

There is something noble about the one who will step forward when everyone else is afraid. David recognized that all those cold nights as he kept the sheep that God was keeping him too. He trusted God and he was not afraid to take down this giant because of what God had given him the strength to do when the bear and even a lion came for the sheep. As he slayed his giant, he slayed his level of obscurity and everyone knew who he was as the women declared in the streets, "David has slayed ten thousands."

This was the beginning of a new era in David's life. The authority on his life was being respected and God increased his skills as he increased his stature.

This is the evidence of someone that is growing in God. There will always be an increase on their life. David became appreciated. You may not feel appreciated at the moment, but as you grow in God people will begin to respect the authority that is on your life. People will begin to call you by name because they know what you are capable of doing because the Lord is working in you.

Whatever the cost of being like God, David was willing to pay it. We can see this as his life went on. Although David made many mistakes that cost him dearly, David loved God and he was after his heart. It showed in his willingness to repent and his willingness to praise God after a fall. David went through many rough situations, like Saul trying to kill him, being undermined by his family, and his son (Absalom) dying because he plotted to kill him and steal his kingdom.

If only David's son Absalom or even Saul had an ounce of his character. This situation points out an awesome testimony for David. From these events we know that David loved his enemies because after they tried to kill him and after they were dead and gone, he mourned for them and loved them. He wept for Saul and he wept for his son Absalom.

The prophet Samuel pointed out as he wept for his son, would you have us all to perish rather than Absalom? Those of us that have been there for you all this time?

We can take a valid point from this. Could it be that he loved Saul and Absalom more than himself?

Do we give our enemies our best and the people that have been there for us during our darkest time our worst? David's cries rang through the kingdom for his enemies. As the people that were loyal to him and protected him against them listened in confusion. David's enemies were defeated, he yet loved his enemies.

All of us have been guilty of keeping up a front for strangers or people that have no bearing on our future, only to complain about it to the ones who have been by our side through the good and bad.

During times of obscurity we tend to show our best only at certain times. We see flashes of greatness only when challenged, but when unchallenged we do not push towards the greatness that already lies inside of us. This is because we get comfortable with the people we don't have to do battle with. This could be your friends and loved ones. We may find ourselves keeping on a good face all day at work, but when we get home we complain to our spouse or anyone who will listen. The challenge comes when we look inside ourselves and say that we are no longer going to give our best face to those that we are merely trying to hide from or impress. That we are going to show our noblest quality because we have God's spirit on the inside to be strong on a daily basis.

Samuel was merely saying "I know he was your son, but he was also your enemy." At some point in time we have to accept the fact that the enemy will use anyone he can to kill your spirit before he will be willing to allow you to reach your destiny. This takes us to step outside of the harmful situations we have experienced and accept who we are and what we could not control.

We must rise out of the rationalization of the past and merely accept the fact that whatever has happened has made us well able to be strong for our present and future.

David most certainly loved his enemies. But, it does not change the fact that they hated him and tried to snuff out his life. David was protected by God for this reason. He was a man after God's own heart.

Coming out of old habits and negativity takes time and it does not happen without a willing mind to look deep into the issues that we face and come to terms with a better, stronger you. This takes letting go of those that do not have our best interest at heart.

As you let go of your season of obscurity, it will also take you realizing that there must be appreciation for who you are and who God has made you to be. There is no more room in your life for stifled relationships that are not bearing fruit. There are better friends and people that will surround you that can appreciate the level you are on in life and once you let go of your past, these people will begin to surround you with love and appreciation of who God is calling you to be.

# Chapter Eleven

He Called out of the Belly of Hell

Jonah was a prophet called by God to tell the people what the Lord was saying. He was supposed to go to Ninevah. He did not want to go. Jonah already knew his purpose, but he could not let go of what he felt about the people of Ninevah. He did not like them and he did not want God to save them, for to him they were such a terrible people.

It is one thing to not know what you are supposed to do for God, but it is another thing to know what you are supposed to do and not do it. This is disobedience. What has the spirit of God been unctioning you to do that you have not done? Because of Jonah's own fears and disbelief he was unwilling to do what God told him to do.

So Jonah made an attempt to flee from God. He went the opposite direction of where God told him to go. He boarded a boat and went to the deepest part of it and went to sleep to escape the fact that he was being disobedient to God.

You cannot run from God. Psalms 139 says, "Where shall I go from thy spirit, or where shall I flee from thy presence?"

There is no where you can go to escape God. God is bigger than we can imagine him to be. The bible says his eyes run to and fro in the earth. For his eyes to be able to do this, he must be extraordinary. Ascending in pride pretending to be something you are not will not help you escape God. Descending and becoming a shriker; one willing to escape responsibilities that God has placed in your care, will not save you either. Your life will be like a ship tossed and broken at sea until you do what you know to be right.

So as Jonah slept in the bottommost part of a ship. The ship began to be in great turmoil as the waves billowed back and forth and the thundering and lightning gave way to the rain because God knew where Johan was. God wanted to let him know by bringing the ship into a storm.

Psalms 139 goes on to say, "If I ascend up into heaven thou art there and if I make my bed in hell, thou are there."

God is everywhere. You cannot escape him. God likens many to be a fool because they think that their devices can escape his gaze.

Been in a storm lately? Maybe the reason for the storm is because you will not heed to the word of the Lord.

Jonah had to come to the realization that he was here to perform God's will for his life. If you understand this point, you will understand that sometimes, most times, it's going to have to take us putting ourselves to the side, along with our fears, to walk into what God has in store for us and the people he has called us to be a light to, whether we like them or not. It is not about what we think; it's all about what God thinks.

Maybe you have risen from your level of obscurity, but you are unwilling to perform that which God would have you to perform for his glory. God has already done so much for us. We could never repay him. He asks us to do his will, with his help. We are never alone and he always has a plan to make everything alright.

So as Jonah slept, the ship's captain came down to him and asked him to get up and pray to his God that the storm may be stopped. Jonah later confessed that he was the reason why the storm was so bad. He told them of his lack of obedience to God. They tried to do everything they could to row against the storm. It did not work. Finally, they picked Jonah up and threw him overboard at his demand and a large fish swallowed him up.

The storm immediately calmed. Because of this, the men on the ship greatly feared God, sacrificed to him, and made vows to him. Jonah had led the men to God even in his disobedience. I'm not saying it's okay to be disobedient to God, but this shows how God will make your life work out so that something good comes out of it; no matter what.

Something interesting happened to Jonah while he was down there in the belly of the whale. Even though it probably smelled and he was cold and hungry and the ribcage of the whale made it look like an eternal prison. Something in his heart changed and he remembered all that God had done for him. He says "Out of the belly of hell I cried and thou heard me."

Jonah was surely still in the belly of the whale when he said this. Could it be that Jonah was once in the belly of hell and God delivered him? Maybe it was not a physical place. Maybe the belly of hell for Jonah was a spiritual place. Maybe God wanted him to remember where he had brought him from, to give him the courage to go further. He says "Yet thou hast brought up my life from corruption." Do you remember how God once delivered you and redeemed you? Think about your testimony; how far he has brought you. He goes on to say, "When my soul fainted before the Lord, my prayer came unto you."

Jonah's soul began to worship the Lord in repentance as he remembered all that the Lord had done for him. Jonah promised God that he would pay his vow and God spoke to the fish and the fish vomited him up.

The instant Jonah changed his attitude towards God, he was set free from his prison.

When we come to God and he delivers us we are so happy and in love for a moment, but sometimes we lose sight of what God has done for us and the fact that we are not the only ones that need saving. God does not save us to serve ourselves; he saves us to serve him and his agenda. There is not one person on this earth that God desires to perish. He desires to do just what he did for Jonah for everyone on this earth no matter how good or bad the person is.

It really was not Jonah's business who God was trying to save. Jonah's business was to just be obedient and go minister to the people. There is no one so deserving of the Lord's grace. No one. Our righteousness is as a filthy rag before God, all of us. Jonah remembered how God's grace and mercy brought him through and that he now had to be a vessel in which God could show that same grace and mercy to someone else.

So Jonah went to Ninevah and the people turned from their wicked ways, but Jonah was not so happy, but that's another story!

# Part III: The Reality of the Situation

_Chapter Twelve_

The Root of Evil

In order for you to move forward with rising out of the depths of what you are in we must first deal with what may be the root of what is plaguing you and keeping you from moving forward in your life. We do have a real enemy.

Lucifer is real. You may know him as the devil or satan. He is the cause of every evil thing that is spreading itself on God's green earth today and he is the root cause of your problems. Many people would like to think he is not real, but he is a common enemy that cannot be forgotten about if we want to get to the cause of the issues in our lives, most of which are spiritual.

Yes, he is somewhere lurking behind a curtain waiting to be revealed as the enemy that would have you to give in to the scheme of him not being real and up to no good.

I John Chapter 3, Verse 8 says that he was a sinner from the beginning. His first victims were not Adam and Eve. His first victim was himself.

His home was in heaven, until he deceived himself into thinking that he was greater than God. Along with himself he deceived many angels and was cast out of heaven to reak havoc in the earth. He is behind every lie, every evil plot, and scheme.

He is a great deceiver. Anyone that can deceive himself, in the presence of a holy God can surely deceive the whole world.

John Chapter 10, Verse 10 reminds us that he is a thief and he cometh not but to kill, steal, and destroy. He wants to snuff out the life that God gave to you. He wants to steal your joy and diminish your soul. He is the one behind the evil demeanors and actions of some of the people you have been surrounded with.

He walks about the earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Ladies and gentlemen Satan is a lion and he is hungry all the time, for this reason, we must always be on guard. He likes to penetrate you with fear, worry, doubt, and depression. The first place he starts is in your mind; in your thoughts. Your thoughts are many seeds that were planted throughout your life. Your thoughts are so important, they are the driving force behind what you say and do on a daily basis.

God leaves us answers on how to deal with difficult thoughts, which can help navigate us through difficult situations. It is in knowing who God is and what his Son did for us on the cross that we find true healing and deliverance.

Everything that has happened to you your whole life and the way you have dealt with these things have defined your thinking patterns, thus defining what you say and who you are as a person. You may say "well something happened to me and it was out of my control." No, we often cannot control what other people say or do to us, but we are still very responsible for the way we respond and react to things.

Proverbs Chapter 4, Verse 23 states "above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

God instructs us to guard our hearts because out of our hearts flow your actions and words. What you think about all day gets into your heart and it leads your words and your actions. We must take time to guard our hearts against the lies of the enemy. Out of our hearts flow life's issues that have been taken on many times when we were weak or confused. We let these seeds germinate in our hearts and we think about them and they turn into overgrown shrubs that have to be hewn down in order for us to move forward.

Proverbs Chapter 23, Verse 7 reads "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

This is why it is so important for us to think right thoughts about ourselves and others. Your actions start with what is in your heart and your mind. When God looks at you, he does not see your outward appearance; he looks straight into your heart to see where your mediations have been.

You may remember the story of Noah's ark. Many people think to themselves what made God destroy the earth in this manner?" We find our answer in Genesis Chapter 6, Verse 5 it says:

"The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time."

For this reason God repented that he had ever made man to walk this earth because they preferred to think evil and in turn they did evil things.

Evil thinking is a sin. This sin is called evil surmising. Thought patterns like this are what keeps us bound and unable to be free.

Philippians Chapter 2, Verse 5 reads: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

We have to get a new mind. We acquire this mind by renewing our minds daily with what God thinks and what God thinks is found in our bibles.

If we are going to get serious about life, we must give God a bit of our time each and everyday to renew our minds by reading his word. God's word is like unto water that washes our minds and our hearts clean. We find this in Ephesians Chapter 5, Verse 26. This means everything that has been embedded into your mind; has to be cleaned by the washing of the word of God.

God wants us focused on him. He said he would keep us in perfect peace, whosoever will keep their mind stayed on him. A person who is in perfect peace lacks space in their mind for negative thoughts and feelings.

God's will for our minds was for us to keep them stayed on him and think right and good things.

Philippians Chapter 4, Verse 8 reads: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

This means don't dwell on lies, think about what is true. It means don't make up schemes and lies in your mind think about what is noble. It means whatever is right, pure, and lovely, think about those things. If we begin to do this, there will be a change in our words and even our actions and this is pleasing to God when you allow right thinking to consume your inner being.

This is what we must do in good times and hard times. When we feel ourselves being overcome by thoughts of doubt, fear, and worry, we have to meditate on God's promises and his words.

Freedom starts in our minds. We have to find the good in any and every situation. This is a learned behavior and it comes from being content with your life. Notice I did not say "satisfied."

Contentment is trusting God for something better at the right time. Paul says in Philippians Chapter 4, Verse 12:

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

True contentment comes from trusting God and we all could learn to do this a little more, especially at times of distress. These are times we are bombarded with negative mindsets and they stem from worry and fear of what tomorrow may hold because our today is looking a little dim.

Ephesians Chapter 6, Verse 12 reads: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

The principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world are behind the struggle in your mind. Through negativity, strongholds are setup in our minds, which are ways of thinking, that give way to negative thoughts like doubt, worry, and defeat.

God gives us important instructions when dealing with satan and Jesus taught us well when he was lead up to be tempted and he resisted satan with the word of God.

James Chapter 4, Verse 7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God; but resist the devil and he will flee from you."

In getting the enemy to flee from you God's word is very important and a submission must take place on your part to his will and his way of doing things.

Psalms Chapter 119, Verse 105 says "thy [God's] word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

I remember taking a vacation a while ago and getting lost trying to find my way back to my villa. I made a wrong turn somewhere, as I always do, and got lost. I had no clue I was lost because the numbers were going in the right direction & everything looked so familiar. The further I walked, the more I realized I had gotten off somewhere. My surroundings started to look different. I finally saw a security guard and asked him where my villa was. Since he knew the grounds, he took me through a shortcut. It was nighttime so he pulled out his flashlight to light my way as I stepped from stone to stone leading up a steep hill, I thought to myself "Thy word oh Lord is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path."

As we walk through this life, we must know someone that already knows the way. There may be darkness all around you, but God is willing to light your way to a better place if you just take the steps. His words light your way through this life. Anytime you are not sure where to step, you can open your bible and there will be words to light your way so you can keep going and make it safely to your destination. Without the light, we will only get more and more lost and be tempted to give up. You may feel lost today and it is not because you have not given your life over to the Lord. Maybe you feel lost because you have neglected to open your bible to find encouragement and clarity.

Some people are lost and don't even know it. Everything is the same as it has always been. If you have been living your life lost, you would never know it until you come to a place that seems like a dead end. You may have experienced many dead ends in your lifetime; many times when you did not know which way to turn so you turned inward yet there was not where the answer could be found. Ask God to turn the light on in your life.

I remember one day my father-in-law being at my house on vacation. He opened the refrigerator and noticed the light on the inside had blown out. No one had paid attention to the light being out because the light had never worked in the first place. When he turned the light on and we opened the refrigerator, there was an instant difference in what we saw. Your life seems obscure and fuzzy right now, but all you need is some light. God's light. Sometimes we don't notice what is wrong until we see what is right.

Allow the light of God's word to take you to where he wants you to be in this season of your life. It is never too late and you are never too lost to find your way into God's safety and his rest.

# Chapter Thirteen

Healing through the Pain

"The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the joy that is set before us." Romans Chapter 8:18

This scripture excites me to think about what we have to look forward to when we get to heaven. The joys of heaven are incomparable to what we are going through right now here on earth.

As you take your walk through this lifetime, you will recognize that there is a place for suffering. Suffering draws us closer to God and helps us to put our trust in him. But, sometimes we choose to suffer with situations that are not God's will for us, rather than giving in to his promises of joy and peace. Ask yourself the question "what am I choosing for myself instead of taking what God is willing to give me?" I want you to know something that you may not feel at the moment but, you do have a choice.

Suffering has a pattern. If you can recognize this pattern, you will begin walking towards your healing.

We fall into a lot of things because we are not looking up to God and we don't think our actions matter as much because our lives are not going the way we would like for them to go.

Your actions do matter. Sometimes we can be keeping ourselves down by what we are doing; what we do hoping we will get the least amount of joy from that is not helping us, but is only driving us further away from our progress?

Countless times people that are uncertain or unhappy with their lives get caught up in self-destructive patterns. The real issue here is the obsession because of your unpleasant situation. It is a counterfeit healing that makes you feel better for the moment, but you always seem to find yourself back in the cave.

Take note of how you feel after doing whatever ritual it is that you do when you are at your worst. You know you have not solved your problem, you only "feel" better. Healing and happiness are not based on feelings. They are based on your state of mind and not your circumstances.

In order for there to be complete deliverance I must say that you are going to have to stop whatever it is that you are doing to get by. You are going to have to lay aside everything that is keeping you bound and open your mind to the possibility of healing at a steady pace, because healing takes time. You do not have to believe the lie that even though you are doing better; God is not working fast enough. Healing is a process and in order to be healed we must give in to the process that God has set before us. So the bible says in Hebrews Chapter 12, Verse 1 "lay aside every weight that so easily besets you."

Lay aside everything that is going to weigh you down and keep you from God's best. Weights can be habits that we have taken on only to deal with life. In recognizing your weights you are recognizing what it is that you need to give up to be a better, stronger you. Your weights are what you only do or need when you are not feeling your best. In these situations, we have to get used to the idea that God is all we really need.

God's grace is all we need. Depending on God's grace will get you through. His grace is his mercy, kindness, and love towards us. In order for us to lay aside the weights, we must believe that in Christ there is something better. We have to trust him to bring us into a new life and out of our self-inflicted suffering. He is able to do this, and he will.

# Chapter Fourteen

Adding Fuel to the Fire

Believe it or not, there may be sins tied to the negative cycles in your life. This can be fear, worry, or even pride.

Nine times out of ten our negative thoughts are tied to fear. Fear of your future, fear of the unknown. Fear gives way to worrying about things that are not in our power to change anyway. If you could change it, you would not be worrying about it. We are kept on a merry-go-round of thinking about things that are out of our power anyway. This is how we are deceived. In Matthew Chapter 6, Verse 34 Jesus tells us "So do not worry about tomorrow." Why? Because God supplies all of our needs and he knows what we need. We cannot add anything to ourselves by worrying and fretting. You needn't worry about anything. It won't add hair to your head, but it will sure turn some grey. There is no profit in worrying. It will not add any days to your life, but the stress of worrying will sure take some away.

The story of Hannah further proves this point. Hannah could not have children and her husband's second wife Peninah could. It grieved Hannah so bad that she could not have children she cried and could not eat. It even says that her adversary (Peninnah) provoked her sore, so to make her fret. Hannah was worrying and Peninnah only used Hannah's worry to tease her and make her sink deeper into her depression. But, Hannah had a good husband that loved her very much and he even loved her more than Peninnah his other wife. The bible says he always gave Hannah more than he did Peninnah.

Instead of focusing on what a loving husband she had, Hannah focused on what she could not change. I Samuel Chapter 1, Verse 6 clearly states, "God has shut up her womb." Only God himself could change her situation and only God himself can and will change your situation in time. Worrying will only make it worse and magnify it in your mind.

A lot of times we open ourselves up to bondage because we allow others to gain knowledge about us that only God should have. Once the enemy gets a whiff of how to use others to keep you down and depressed, he will.

Having faith and changing our perception will surely yield a great reward. We have all experienced some type of barrenness in our lives. Be it in our career or family life, we have all experienced this. We can learn something from this story and what Hannah did next. She went to pray. She realized that God was the only one who could help her anyway.

Hannah shook herself and went to pray. There was a priest there and he joined with her in her petition to the Lord. He told her go in peace and may the Lord grant thee what you have asked him for. When you decide to turn your back on the lies of the enemy, he will send reinforcements for your faith. After she prayed her prayer of faith, she left and ate. She even rose up early to worship the Lord. After this, she found herself with child.

Men ought always to pray. Instead of worrying in your barrenness, just pray. Not enough income, don't faint, just pray. The Lord will supply all of your needs according to his glorious riches in his timing and after you pray, leave with joy knowing that God will bring it to pass.

While praying Hannah made a vow to God, that she would give this child back to the Lord as a dedication. So after the child was weaned, she took him to the Lords' house to learn and to serve there.

Hannah's bareness was over. Hannah went on to have three daughters and one more son in her lifetime.

God is not moved by your worry, because he tells us to ask him for what we need and not to worry about it. God is moved by your faith in him and Hannah's faith moved her out of barrenness and into plenty.

There are many other things that keep us down as well as fear and worry and they are all considered to be sins to God. Pride and selfishness can be keeping you down as well.

We are God's chosen vessels, but we must understand that God's plan does not only include us, it includes others. There are so many people dealing with situations that are much worse than ours.

Just think when your dry season is over you will be able to help someone else come through. If you have never been to hell and back, how can you give someone else directions? You can't. Having a heart for God is having a heart for what he cares about the most and it is the souls of hurting people.

So finally I say to you, do all things to the glory of God. This is how we learn to kill pride and selfishness in our lives because we cannot bring God glory and ourselves glory at the same time. Remember after he has led you out, you must go back and bring others out as well, or else it will be all for naught.

# Part IV: Enriching Your Faith
# Chapter Fifteen

A Measure of Faith

I must start off by saying that faith is the most important seed of your salvation and the key to your progress in the kingdom of God. The bible describes faith as the substance of things that are hoped for and the evidence of things that are not seen. Faith is simply a belief in God that he will do what only he is capable of. The very fact that you have faith is what your blessing is made of. Faith is the substance of what you are hoping to receive from God according to Hebrews 11 and Verse 1. Your faith is the evidence that what you believe God for is in the process of coming to ferritin. Whatever you have faith in God to do and it is a part of his will for your life, he will do it. Whatever you believe God for at this moment in your life, I join with you and I say "God will do it!" Keep believing, keep hoping, and keep watching for him to perform it.

Romans Chapter 12, Verse 3 reads: For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Pay attention to the latter part of this scripture. God wants us to think soberly and clearly about who we are in him. So we are to think according to the measure of faith he has given us. God has given us all a measure of faith; a measure to first believe that God exists, to approach him, and to believe him for the manifestations of his promises in our lives. Everyone is not there yet. Each and every person is at a different stage in their walk with God and their faith is measured differently as well.

Your faith may measure differently than someone else's but this does not mean that God does not require you to put your faith in action and watch something grow in your life. This is how your faith grows into something bigger than what it used to be.

The story of the talents in Matthew Chapter 25, Verse 14 through 30 is so important when describing the how we are supposed to utilize everything that God has given us. In the parable of the talents, talents literally mean "money." Jesus wanted to explain to us how we are to use our measure of faith to make our lives fruitful.

Think of it this way. Your talents can be your money, children, and ministry gifts. They can be anything because anything that has been entrusted by God into our care, God will help us bring it to a state of continual growth if we trust him with it.

Your children are not yours. They are God's chosen vessels. Your money is not yours alone. A portion of it should be set aside as a resource used to further God's ministry into the world and bring others to Christ. Your gifts are not yours. They are to help edify God and the church and to lead others to Christ. By now I know you get the picture.

In the parable of the talents each person was given talents by God to build upon. Some were given more than others, but it was only because God knew the person could not handle more than what he gave them. God knows what you can and cannot handle in your life. This is why it is so important for us to be content with what God has given to us, make it grow and believe that he will give us more in time. We must not be so greedy to want to go beyond what God has given us because we know to whom much is given much will be required.

Some built on their talents and were given more. There was one who did not. This one was referred by Jesus to be a wicked servant. He was considered to be wicked because he buried the talent and did nothing to make it grow.

Each and every one of us will be held accountable for what we do with everything God has entrusted to us. Will we work the ground that he has given us in faith or will we sit back and burry everything?

You don't have to burry everything you have out of fear and selfishness. God wants to use you to bring others into his kingdom. What God is requiring of you is to find a place where you can grow and help others to grow. A fellowship, a church home. Where you can be rooted and grounded in love and abound in the work of the Lord that your faith may grow and be cultivated into something more than you could ever experience if you go it alone.

Every step we move forward in believing God to make our lives fruitful, it is a step towards building upon what God has already engrained in our hearts about him. No matter where you are and what measure of faith you have, you do have something. There is something that you believe about God and he requires even the smallest inkling to be built upon and cultivated into a greater level of faith. The more we believe in him and seek him, the more we grow. The more we grow, the more we all will be held accountable for what God has given us.

It takes courage and a sense of responsibility to build upon what God has already given you and each time you do this, you are continuing to rise out of the unknown into what you now believe God is capable of.

# Chapter Sixteen

Walking on Water

The most famous miracle wrought in the bible was the story of Peter walking on water. The fascination comes from Peter being able to defy gravity only because he believed. It was a bold move on Peter's part to ask Jesus to bid him to come to him on top of the water, but I believe when Peter beheld the wondrous sight of Jesus walking on water his faith was increased and it became possible in his heart to do the same as his teacher. Jesus let us know in John 14 and Verse 12: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

You may not have the desire to walk on water, but you may have a desire to defy the laws of gravity in your life. To defy what it is that is trying to keep you in the boat. No matter what it is today the fact that you are reading this book is a testament that God has added a measure of faith unto you. Yes, you can walk to Jesus in your own special way, just as Peter did.

Everyone talks about Peter walking on the water, but I find it interesting that he began to sink when the wind blew.

The bible describes the wind as boisterous. Why does it often seem like when we strike out on a new path in life, one that requires great faith in God, we begin to feel the winds blow like never before? Could it be that your faith is enough to get you where you need to go, but as soon as the wind intimidates you with thoughts of doubt in what God is doing in your life you begin to sink?

The enemy cannot stop you. He can only try to get you to stop yourself with thoughts of fear and intimidation. He can only threaten you with tumultuous and violent winds.

I have a message for the doubters on today. Try not to doubt, but even if you do you are not out of the race. All you have to do is what Peter did when he felt himself sinking. He called out in Matthew Chapter 14, Verse 30 "Lord, save me!" Every time you feel yourself sinking just cry out to Jesus. The bible says immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and brought him to the ship safely.

Jesus was already on the water waiting for Peter to come to him. Peter was walking towards Jesus when he doubted and began to sink, then he called out "Lord save me!" and Jesus grabbed his hand and walked him back to the ship.

Notice that Jesus did not allow Peter to sink into the water. Peter did not sink down beneath what his faith already had allowed him to do. Peter was able to fully perform his miracle because he called out to Jesus.

When you call out to Jesus he takes your hand and helps you to complete what you started out to do. He knows our form and he is the only one that can fully identify with how we feel at times. This teaches us that we can pray to him and he will reinforce the measure of faith that has already been given unto us.

After Peter doubted, Jesus said to him in Verse 31,"oh ye of little faith." Peter's faith was not strong enough for him to walk out his miracle and endure the strong winds, but Jesus helped him. This is a testament of the faith it really requires to perform the will of the father. If it takes little faith to walk on water I wonder how much faith it takes to raise the dead.

Peter went on to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Peter could have felt like he arrived the moment he stepped foot on that water, but Jesus let him know your faith is yet small. Your faith has so much more growing to do and as your faith grows you will defy gravity and everything that is trying to keep you down.

I want you to know that no matter what measure of faith that has been dealt unto you, you still have further to go. You still have some growing to do. If you feel as if you are further along than those around you it does not matter to God because he has given you a greater measure of faith. This only means you have way further to go. If you have felt as though you have been dealt a small measure of faith, this also means you have much further to go with God. He has much to show you, but you have to continue to walk forward into your destiny.

Rising out of the obscurity of your life requires faith, courage, and determination. These are the characteristics of one who is on their way to a great victory in life, never to return to the old way ever again. Remember, there is a path we must follow if we want to make it in this life and it is God's path that he already mapped out for us. It is up to us to trust him and believe in what his son did for us on cavalry. In adhering to the principles in the bibles as a foundation for living out our daily lives, our minds begin to change and in turn our lives will change. Let your process begin!

# Other Titles Available for Sale

# "Young Salvation"

# About the Author

Bridgette M. Kiner is a native of Michigan City, Indiana. She has been married & set apart by God for nearly 11 years. She writes to change perspectives and lives; her own, as well as others.

