hand in HAND

“For I AM the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:13‬
You may wonder why when the Lord holds your hand, He takes hold of your right hand. Well, your right hand (man’s dominant hand) speaks of your efforts, your abilities, your devotion. In other words, your doing. But HIS right hand speaks of Jesus and HIS doing!
It has never been about our love or devotion to Him. We are weak, inconstant and ever changing. We’re up one minute and down the next. We fail, we fall, we feel with roller coaster emotions. We get discouraged, depressed and disheartened.
But Jesus never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And it’s always been about His love, dedication, loyalty and faithfulness to us.

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He Wants And Heals Every Part Of Your Heart

“He heals the wounds of every shattered heart.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:3‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Whatever shape your heart is in, Jesus wants it. All the pieces. Every shattered fragment; the shards of your pain, the particles of your rejection, the slivers of regret, the chunks of anger and doubt, the remnant of hope. Whatever you’ve got. He wants you right where you are.

It’s the only place His grace superabounds and His Love is transformationally experienced. He is the only One who can make your heart whole.

When you don’t come to Him in your pain, it will remain. But if, in your desperation and despair, you bring it to Him, you open the door of your heart for the Healer to come in and move in your ruins; to touch every place with His Presence. His love will penetrate there, His Spirit will move into the deepest of your darkness to heal and illuminate there…to hold you and love you back into Life. 

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The Father’s heart for fathers

“You and I, just as Jesus, have been given Father’s stamp of approval long before we ever accomplished anything in this life. You are His beloved, so, be loved.” ~ Leif Hetland

I think the greatest way to honor fathers on Father’s Day is to remind them to become children again. The role of a father is indispensable, vital and crucial to a child. And if it’s healthy, that role depicts a tiny grain of sand, a glimpse if you will, as to what God’s heart is like towards His children.

A child, on the other hand, gets to freely receive. He gets to romp and play, live loved, explore and make mistakes in the joy of knowing his father’s joy over him. It’s for that reason, my heart yearns to remind every father reading this of the pride and joy his Heavenly Daddy has for him…simply because he is.

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He Fills All in All

“…the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].” Ephesians‬ ‭1:23‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

Where do you feel empty today? Lacking? In need of understanding, acceptance and unconditional love? Are you going through something and you feel no one gets it? Do you feel rejected by someone you love or someone at work whom you feel should be respecting you or giving you recognition? Is there a gaping hole in your heart too painful to really share from losing someone dear? Or from a relationship that seems to have died?

Beloved, there is only One who knows your heart, completely and intricately. There is only One who knows every tear you’ve shed, every hurt you’ve hidden, every moment you’ve felt forsaken. And only The One, Jesus (your only source for real life) can fill  those places with redeeming unconditional love, healing and restoration.

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Deep Calls To Deep Devotional

“Deep calls to deep at the [thundering] sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.” ‭‭PSALM‬ ‭42:7‬ ‭AMP‬‬
   The depths of His heart are calling out to the deep places in your soul. He wants you to come to Him without reservation, without being afraid or uncomfortable to tell Him anything. Anything…and everything…every detail.
    Even if you’re feeling like you have no faith. Even if you’re feeling insecure, condemned, confused, wronged or alone. Nothing you’re feeling or going through is a surprise or mystery to the One who holds your heart and Whose breath is your breath.
   The only way to have intimacy with the Lord and to walk in His Perfect Love and Peace is to be real with Him. To know that when you commune with Him in vulnerability and truth, He is accepting you wholly; washing over you with waves of tenderness, surging smiles of pleasure, wide-open arms to embrace you and a flood tide of supernatural supply!
   When you hold onto your worries, pains, and even your desires, you will feel the swells of the storm within you. You will constantly feel like you’re drowning internally. And you will find it hard to receive from the Giver of Life.
   But when you release it all to Jesus, you’ll get drenched in His unconditional love for you. On that cross, His heart literally broke open to wash over you with forever forgiveness and endless grace.
   This is what it means to be the righteousness of God in Christ. Being yourself with Him – no shame, no guilt – knowing in His eyes you are secure in His perfection. He alone is your Steadfast, your Confidence, your Assurance, your Portion. Not man, Not creation. Not methods. Not religious formulas. Jesus Only.
   He’s the only One who can give you whole health, real rest and thriving life. So set your heart on pilgrimage to enjoy a real relationship with your Best Friend. Tell Him you want to know Him like that. Remember child of God, He’s not finding fault with you, He’s gently Fathering you further into Love.
Resting In His Love,
Annalee Reyes

We Know Not How Devotional

(Above is the first sprout of my garden this year.)

“…the seed sprouts and grows and increases–he knows not how.”
Mark 4:27 AMPC

New beginnings. New life. It’s there. He’s there. The seed is hidden in the dark, cold soil of the earth. We see it not. Yet it is growing roots, taking hold of the good ground, opening itself to life, preparing to break through on the other side.

We see it not. We know not how. We don’t dig it up to analyze its progress. We can’t force it to grow faster. We rest. We wait. We anticipate. We praise.

It’s the same with us. Hidden and trusting in Jesus, we know even in our dark places, He is making the miraculous happen. We know not how. Our part is not to try to figure it out. Our part is to trust. To trust in His love that is too big to comprehend. To trust in His goodness that knows no limits. To trust He is making all things new and beautiful.

All because The Seed (Jesus) went to the depths of the earth for you and was raised to give you life abundant with Him through intimacy.

So slow down. Take a step out of the rat race. Be still and know that the absence of your understanding is NOT the absence of His moving Presence. Find your calm in not concerning yourself with the “hows” and “whys,” but in letting yourself be loved as you are and enjoying Him where you are.

It’s spring. Take a moment (or two, or three…) out of your day today and open your heart and eyes to the promises of new life all around you. And then encounter it (Him) within you.

Resting In His Love,

Annalee Reyes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nailed It!

Sin, shame, condemnation, guilt, regrets, fear of punishment, rule-keeping, failures, distress, judgement, strife, sicknesses, diseases, death: NAILED! Every one of those things born on Jesus’ body and nailed to that cross, come from us trying to be like God because of Adam.

They come from trying, striving, doing…in an effort to please Him. Those things come from rule-keeping, law-living. Condemnation is the direct result of trying to live out a list of do’s and dont’s before God; a list we could never, would never and were never meant to try to live out.

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Eagle Vision

Long before the Philadelphia Eagles won this year’s Super Bowl, the Lord had already been speaking to my heart about Eagle vision. And because He loves to speak prophetically, even in sports, it was no surprise this team of believers from “the City of Brotherly Love,” was going to champion a picture of God’s heart for His children and this country in this season.

To have Eagle vision is to see Jesus. To see Jesus is to see Grace; His unearned, unmerited favor, faithfulness, goodness and kindness towards you. To see Him is to know Him. To know Him is to experience eternal life right here, right now. And when you continually see Jesus and yourself in Him, you will rise above the oppression and depression that pulls you earthbound and soar on His wings of victory. But what exactly does it mean to “see” Jesus? And how do you “see” Him?

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A New Year of Rest

“…You can’t force these things. They only come about through My Spirit…” Zechariah 4:6 msg

The best thing you can resolve to do in 2018 is to rest in what Jesus has done. The life of grace and intimacy with your Savior, is the life of trusting more and trying less. His unconditional love invites you into the unforced rhythms of grace by letting go of trying to “fix” yourself and letting Him do for you what you can’t do for yourself.

Did you know He’s actually attracted to your weaknesses and can’t wait for you to brag about them? Why? Because when you realize your need for Him, His grace explodes there. Society shouts “Be more and do more!” But Jesus reminds you, at the cross, He took your place and gave you His so you can be loved as you are and rest in what He’s done…to receive the desires of your heart instead of strive for them.

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