Moments Archives – Brewing Ground

You Are Being Prepared!

February 20, 2017

The Winds of Change

I feel the winds of change brewing in my life – only I’m not sure what yet. But, I can feel it coming; a change in course. The problem is, I am a thinker and a planner. I want to know what I’m planning for, so I know how to plan. All I can think is “God, don’t you know that I need a plan! I want to be prepared!” God has whispered, “I don’t want you to plan – I want you to trust!” POW – right in the gut!

Welcome to my Brewing Ground – letting go of the plan (or trying to create one prematurely) and letting Him take over. This will be a challenge! So, my new prayer

is that God will help me to take things one step at a time and trust that He will make each step clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, when it is time. I pray He will clam my planning mind to be patient and trust Him. Also, I pray that I will take action when necessary without second guessing His plans and listing all the pros and cons first. He knows what’s coming! God brought me to a story illustrating this very idea.

The Players

Let’s travel back in time to around 480 B.C. God began to lay the groundwork and get prepared for the precarious situation the Jewish people would find themselves in. Let’s take a look at how God prepared two individuals to save the whole Jewish nation.

King Ahasuerus was currently on the throne. The story begins with him giving his Queen an order which she refused; so, he banished her. This began the search for a new queen. The king sent out an order for all the beautiful young women to be brought to the royal court. There was one woman the king was quite taken with. He chose her to be queen; her name – Esther. The king loved Esther more than all the other women. Now, Esther’s parents passed away years before and her cousin, Mordecai, took her in as his own daughter and raised her. Mordecai also happened to be working with the king as a government official. Haman was the king’s second in command.

The Plot Thickens

Haman let his position go to his head. In fact, everyone was supposed to bow down to him. Mordecai was a Jew so his allegiance was to God; Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman. Well, that did it! Haman was enraged and prepared a plan to kill Mordecai and ALL the Jewish people in the land. He convinced the king that the Jewish people did not follow his laws and should all be destroyed. So, the king issued a decree condemning ALL Jews to death.

When everyone found out about the decree, Mordecai asked Esther if she would “play her card” and talk to the king. This whole time she had kept it a secret that she was Jewish and Mordecai was her family. But, Esther was concerned; and for good reason. There was a law that she could be put to death for just going to court to speak with the king without him first asking her to come. Talk about a steep penalty just to chat!

The Calling

Well, Mordecai responded to Esther’s concern about her possible death.

“¹³Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. ¹⁴For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14 KJV

Mordecai basically says, “You can’t think about saving yourself at a time like this! If you live but all the rest of your people don’t and you didn’t try to help – can you live with that!? Think of the greater good and about our positions here. If we don’t help our people, then who else can? God may have placed us here for this very reason. Seize the Day!!!” Quite the pep talk! So, Esther agreed and prepared; she put a plan together and took action quickly. The story continues to reveal God’s hand in making the plans work. Fast forward to the end. It was revealed that Haman was actually the one scheming against the king for personal gain. The king ended up hanging Haman and reversing the decree to kill all the Jews.

You Are Being Prepared

Don’t think for a minute that your Brewing Ground isn’t God’s prepared plan for you. Also, don’t think for a minute that your Brewing Ground isn’t preparing you for His plan. Sometimes things happen in our lives and we have no idea why. It doesn’t always make sense. Esther initially had no idea why God put her in the position of queen. But, God knew what was coming. Eventually, she knew why God made her queen and knew it was time to take action. Then she quickly made a plan and followed through. God orchestrates our lives in such a way as to set the stage and get us in the right place, at the right time, and get us prepared for what is to come. Will you seize your moment, as Ester did when the time comes?

Let’s Brew And Be Prepared!

If this has blessed you please share!

Will You Trust or Question?

January 24, 2017

The Question

How can you do everything right and how can everything go so wrong? Welcome to your Brewing Ground! Let’s face it, sometimes this happens in life. This can be the case in any number of situations. Things can go wrong when you do everything right with smaller moments; or, this can happen with major life altering situations or events. Why is this? That is the real question. There could be a number of reasons why things don’t work or go as planned. Let’s explore these ideas a bit.

The Muffins

Let’s begin by looking at a smaller situation. Let’s say that you have decided to make some muffins. You search and find a recipe. Next, you gather all your ingredients. You make sure to follow the instructions in the recipe. Once you pull them from the oven you realize they look nothing like the picture. Well, that doesn’t matter if they taste good. So, on to the taste test. OHHH – They are awful! The question now arrises – What went wrong?

Being perplexed by this situation you go back over the recipe; maybe you missed something. Now, this is where you will see a natural division form. The first group will find that maybe there was an ingredient left out, or the muffins were baked at the wrong temperature, or they didn’t get mixed well, the list goes on. In this instance it may be operator error. Now, for the second group. After checking, all the ingredients are present and accounted for. You even followed the directions exactly. So, what went wrong? Well, sometimes there is just a bad recipe. It happens! Unfortunately, not all recipes are good recipes. Either way, despite our best efforts things went wrong but for different reasons.

The Life Changer

There can also be major life changing situations in which you can do everything right and everything can still go wrong. Job is a perfect example of this. In the Bible, the entire book of Job tells the tragic, yet glorious, story about the life of a man named Job. Job contains 42 chapters. Every chapter’s focus is on one particular life changing event in Job’s life when he did everything right but everything went wrong.

Job’s Story

Job was a Godly man. He had a wife and 10 children. Job was a very prosperous farmer owning thousands of livestock and having many servants. Job had it all, family, friends, wealth, possessions, and prestige; he was the most famous and wealthiest in all the land (Job 1:3). He also built his life on God. It all began in Chapter 1. Satan came to God and claimed that Job only loved and trusted God because he had everything; he said that Job would not feel the same if had nothing. Satan asked God if he could test Job. God’s response,

^“12And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.” Job 1:12 KJV

Quick Side Note: Did you catch what this verse is really saying. GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!

Satan tested Job in a very serious way. In one fail swoop Job lost ALL his children, livestock, and servants. Wow! Talk about a bad day!! But, Job still loved and praised God. God allowed Satan to further test Job with extreme physical pain. He still remained faithful! Now, Job’s friends heard of all what happened and came to be with him. All this only takes us through Job 2.

Job 3 begins the discussions between Job and his friends about his situation. These conversations take us all the way through Job 37. You will find a natural division here also. During these conversations Job’s friends question him. His friends believe that all Job’s tragedy was caused by sin; they urged him to confess. However, Job continued to defended his innocence. While his friends questioned that he was missing something, he knew that he had done everything right. Job knew that there was another reason this was all happening to him.

The Visit

Job 38 through 42 tells about Job’s next visitor – God! God finally spoke through a mighty storm. During His conversation, God addressed Job.

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, ²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” Job 38:1-2 KJV

God himself had a conversation with Job – Woah! This conversation actually consisted of questions for Job about the natural world. His point was to demonstrate that we do not even have a full understanding of our natural world. How could we possibly be able to understand why bad things still happen when we do everything right – we can’t. God’s point was that it is more important to trust than understand. We may never be able to fully understand. But, God does heal and restore.

“¹⁰And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10 KJV

God gave Job twice as much as he had before. He also blessed him with more children.

Biblical Truth

Even when we do everything right, things can still go very wrong. That is, wrong in our view. God has a plan and purpose to use these situations for our good. This is the whole reason for our Brewing Ground. Will you question God or trust Him?

Let’s Brew in Trust!

Have you experienced a situation like this in your life? Comment Below!

Powerful Moments From Small Gestures

January 9, 2017

Will You Meet Me For Coffee?

Hello sweet friends! Will you meet me for coffee? Let’s chat! Sometimes we forget or underestimate how much power even the smallest things can have. A hug, a kind word, a coffee, a listening ear, a prayer, a note, even just a smile. When used by the Holy Spirit, the smallest of gestures have the potential to impact people in a very powerful way; ways we may never know or could even imagine. These gestures hold great power and potential to have a profound impact on someone’s day or maybe even their life. I’d like to tell you a story about a friend and one of these gestures.

God has truly blessed me. He has given me the privilege of teaching with a great group of Godly individuals. People that I truly enjoy. Not only do I get to work with these lovely people, I also have the privilege of calling them friends. Throughout my years of teaching at this school there have been so many prayers, smiles, hugs, kind words, and so on. This is what we do for each other. Recently, God reminded me of a single powerful sentence that a sweet friend said to me one time. This was one of those small underestimated things that the Holy Spirit used in a powerful way.

A Look Back

I have been in a war on my Brewing Ground for years now. It has been the longest and hardest war I have ever had to fight; and, it’s still not over. Almost 2 years ago, there was an extra intense battle that begun in this war. On a particularly rough day, one of my sweet teaching friends came into my room at the end of the school day. She knew nothing about my situation or what was going on; however, she could tell that something was off. All she did was walk up to me and say, “I’m praying that whatever is falling apart will start falling back together.”

This was a powerful moment for me. My friend may not have realized it, but God used this gesture. To her it was probably just a small thing to let me know that she cared and was praying. However, God used this brief moment. For one, He used this to remind me that He is always with me. He also reminded me that I have the support of friends and family. I also believe this was God’s way a giving me a prayer warrior for my situation; even though she didn’t really know what she was praying for. Since then, I have been reminded of this friend’s sentence a few times. A sentence that held underestimated power. I doubt, at the time, she thought I would still be thinking about this sentence almost 2 years later. In fact, if I were to ask her about it today she may not even remember this. Little did we know at the time, but God was also planting a “revelation” seed in me.

Powerful Revelation

“I’m praying that whatever is falling apart will start falling back together.”

This was the prayer of a friend almost 2 years ago. More recently, my battle has intensified and it has felt like everything is actually falling apart and God brought this prayer to my mind again. THEN…the other day I stumbled upon a quote. There are times when you read a quote and it is just a quote. Then, there are times when you read something and the Holy Spirit grabs your heart and you know that it is much more than a quote – it’s a message. This was one of those times.

“Sometimes when things are falling apart they may actually be falling into place.”

A powerful moment, a message for me. When I read it, God used it. He immediately brought back to mind that prayer and put the two together with my situation and His word for a powerful revelation. It was almost as if God said, “OK Vanessa, we are now entering ‘Phase 2’ of this battle. It’s time to change your thinking and strategy. You can do this. Everything is actually falling into place. Remember My truths…”

^“7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. ⁸The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever.” Psalm 138:7-8a KJV

“Next…”

^“28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

“And…”

^“9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9 KJV

Powerful! I claim it in Jesus name!

The Ending

Well, I have no idea yet when or how this is going to end. I do know that it’s not going to be easy; I am still in the midst of the battle. There is no way to tell what God is going to do in “Phase 2”. I’m sure it will be something that I never even thought of. But, God already knows the ending! I claim that the pieces are actually falling into place! Whatever the ending is, it will be glorious!

God, thank you for my Brewing Ground, and your refining fire. Thank you that I will emerge from the fire victorious!

So, I challenge you this week to not pass up the opportunity to share those small gestures with those around you. You never know when one might be used by the Holy Spirit and turned into a powerful life changing moment.

Let’s Brew!

Has God ever used a small gesture that someone did for you in a powerful way? Comment below!

When There Are No Words! Holy Spirit Series – Part 3

November 28, 2016

Sometimes there are no words. There may be a moment you can remember when something so tragic and heart breaking happened in the life of a dear friend, family member, or even your life. Were you there at that moment? Did you see it happen or were you there when they heard “the news”. In that very moment was there anything you could do or say to “make it better” or go away? Not really. What can you say in those moments? Or, was it you that experienced something so tragic and heart breaking in your life? A moment that took your breath away,

that paralyzed you in an instant, when reality hit you like a ton of bricks. There are no words to even explain the devastation or heartbreak you experienced. A moment when there are just no words.

When There Are No Words

Maybe you’ve had, or will have, times in life when you just have no words to describe what you are feeling and experiencing. You have no clue what to say, pray, or even how to begin; it’s simply unexplainable. We know from Part 1 in this series that if we have asked Jesus into our heart, He sends the Holy Spirit to live within us to help us. Thank You Jesus! This is the only way to survive the moments when there are no words. This brings us to Part 3 in the series on jobs of the Holy Spirit, intercessor.

^“26Likewise 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. ²⁷And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 KJV

Paul, the author of Romans, confirms in Verse 26 that there are times when we just do not know how or what to pray – there are no words. In these situations, the Holy Spirit intercedes with prayer on our behalf. The verse states that His prayers, for our infirmities, are groanings that we can not understand. What exactly falls into the category of infirmities in this verse?

Physical Help

We see that Verse 26 begins by stating the Holy Spirit helps us with our infirmities by interceding for us. The word used for infirmities in this verse was derived from the Greek word meaning weakness, illness, or infirmity. Living in a broken world sometimes leads to broken bodies. Sometimes, with physical issues there are no words. Our pain is too great, or we may not know what is causing the problem. Maybe, we do not even know there is a problem yet. However, the Holy Spirit does know; He lives inside us. He is already working on our behalf and praying for us when there are no words.

Heart Help

Living in a broken world doesn’t just lead to broken bodies, but also those moments that cause a broken heart. As I was researching this topic, I kept coming back to the idea that heartbreak is also a weakness or illness. I wanted to check this idea; so, I kept researching. God led me to these verses.

“³He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds…⁵Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:3, 5 KJV

So, a broken heart IS an infirmity which even has wounds to bind. Those of you that have lived through a moment when there are no words can attest to this. So, the Holy Spirit works as an intercessor for us. He prays for us when we don’t even know where to begin. Verse 5 continues by stating that God hears, understands completely, and has the power to bind and heal our wounds.

So, in Romans 8:26-27 Paul explains that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf in times of weakness. I love what he says in the very next verse.

^“28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

If you are a child of God, everything in your life is all working together for your good – even the bad. This is how your Brewing Ground works. God brings you through your battleground of life to refine you, remove your “impurities”, and transform you to create a beautiful masterpiece. Yes, there is hope!

Let’s Put It All Together

Let’s take a look at the jobs of the Holy Spirit we have studied so far. In a moment when there are no words, immediately, the Holy Spirit begins interceding for you. He is praying for you and saying what you can’t. While He is interceding for you, He is also comforting you. Part 1 in this series focused on the Holy Spirit’s job as comforter. You are being wrapped in love and the arms of God. The Holy Spirit uses these two jobs together; comforter and intercessor, they go hand in hand. As this is happening, God hears, understands, and begins to administer first aid by binding and healing your wounds. When the time is right, the Holy Spirit begins to teach you something. Part 2 in the series focused on the Holy Spirit as a teacher. This is how God begins to purify you and use even the bad in life for good.

In those moments when you have no words, meet God for coffee or tea. His coffee shop NEVER closes. Read your Bible. Sit there still and quiet in the presence of God. Let the Holy Spirit intercede for you. Allow God to minister to your heart and heal your wounds. In those moments when there are no words, there is still hope. There is always hope with Jesus.

Let’s Brew in God’s Coffee Shop!

Can you remember a time in your life when there were no words? Comment below!

When God Sends Help Will You Miss The Boat?

October 31, 2016

^“13For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:13 KJV

There was a torrential storm that hit a town. The authorities warned that the nearby river was going to soon flood the city and advised everyone to evacuate. One of the citizens of this town was a very faithful Christian man. He heard this warning and decided to stay thinking, “I will trust God and if I am really in danger, He will send a divine miracle to save me.” As his neighbors were getting ready to leave they said, “Come with us; we have room in our car.” The man declined and said, “I have faith that God will save me.” So they left.

As the man sat on his porch, he watched the water rise. Soon, someone came by in a canoe. This man said, “The water is rising quickly! Come with me to safety.” The man declined once again and said, “No, I have faith that God will save me.” So the man in the canoe left.

As the water continued to rise and flood his house the man had to move upstairs. A police boat came by and they saw him sitting at a window. They said, “We are coming to save you!” The man replied,

“Use your time to go save someone else; I have faith that God will save me.” The police pleaded with the man to come with them; he refused. So, the police boat left.

The water still continued to rise quickly and the man had to retreat to the roof of his house. A rescue helicopter spotted him. A rescuer came down on a rope ladder and pleaded with the man to come with him. But, the man still refused, “No, God will save me!” After pleading some more, the man still refused. The helicopter finally left.

Soon the strong flood waters rose too high and swept the man away and he drowned. Once in heaven, the man stood before God and asked, “I trusted you and put all my faith in you. Why didn’t you save me?” God responded, “Yes my child, you did. And I gave you a warning. I sent a car and then a canoe. Next, I sent a boat and then a helicopter. But, you never would get in. What more did you want?” (Source: Unknown)

You have probably heard this story before. There are many different versions and the original author is unknown. I heard this story many years ago; however the message is timeless.

I have known for a while what I wanted to write about this week. As I was praying and getting ready to actually sit down and write the post I had planned, it didn’t seem quite right for this week. As I was praying and talking with God about what He did want me to write, He brought this story to my mind. I haven’t thought of this story in years. So, what was His message for me; why did He bring this story to my mind? As I was thinking over the story, He also brought several recent major events and situations to my mind which all happen to be completely unrelated. The one overarching theme that I DID find – they are all major life changing Moments of Brewing in the lives of several dear friends and myself. Moments where we need God’s help or drowning WILL occur. God led me to this verse.

^“13For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:13 KJV

It all started coming together. God was whispering His message to my heart. One I needed to hear. One He asked me to share with you, sweet friends.

First and foremost, God is with you! He is right there holding your hand. He WILL help you! That is a promise stated in Isaiah 41:13. Believe it! Claim it! Know in your heart God is there – even if He is silent! He is working on your behalf. He is gathering equipment and supplies. He is devising a rescue mission and assembling your team. Your rescue mission is very specific to you and your situation. Certain situations require very detailed, intricate plans. God is so GREAT with details; He will not miss a single one! Sometimes rescue missions take time to implement so every detail is in place. Wait on God’s perfect timing.

Secondly, you have to be open and alert. You may come up with a plan of what YOU think your rescue mission should look like. For example, Jesus should return to earth right now. Although this would be nice, that doesn’t mean this is God’s plan. Remember, He has a very specific plan just you and your situation. You have to be open to His plan and alert to be able to see His help when it comes. His help comes in all forms. Will God send Jesus – it could happen. Will He send an angel – possibly, in some form or fashion. Your angel my be an earthly angel. Maybe it’s a boat. Or maybe it’s a random comment from a stranger that God uses. Maybe it’s a picture you see or something you read. Maybe it’s a difficult conversation with a dear friend or family member that challenges you. Maybe God will provide a resource or opportunity. You just never know. God is so creative! After all, He created the earth and everything on it. You never know what He will use in your rescue mission. This is what we CAN learn from the story – if you are not alert and open to God’s rescue mission, you WILL miss it.

There was a third principle God whispered to my heart related to this story. God’s rescue mission will require action on your part. First of all, you need to be in tune with God in order to recognize His rescue mission. Since God has given you the privilege of free will, you have to choose a relationship with Him. A relationship with Him requires intentional choices, actions, and behaviors. Secondly, God can provide all kinds of resources, opportunities, and help; but, if you are not willing to take the help and use it, it does nothing for you. You can be in tune with God and know the boat is His rescue mission. However, if you refuse to accept His help and actually get up and climb into the boat – well, the storm will eventually sweep you away. You may be thinking, “Well, if His plan was as simple as climbing into a boat, then I could do that!” Sometimes the action required is much more challenging than climbing into a boat. This is your Brewing Ground. God never promised that your rescue mission would be easy. He DID promise that He is right there with you and will help you. He will equip you to handle your rescue mission. After all, it is a rescue mission – it is meant to save something.

This is a perfect example of God’s refining fire talked about in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of God’s Refining Fire series. We are found, broken, crushed, washed, put through the fire multiple times, purified, then still go through the process to be transformed into a beautiful masterpiece. He has planned a rescue mission to save us from the rocks, mire, and muck we are buried under. God is right there with you. Will you be open and alert to His rescue mission? Will you take action when help arrives?

Have you ever known anyone like the man in the story? Have there been times in your life when you were that man? Did they/you realize it before or after “drowning”? Comment below!

Let’s Brew!

Still Waiting

October 3, 2016

^“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV

There are those days when you feel like you should have just stayed in bed. In fact, there have even been some days you may have been tempted to actually drop everything, go home, and get back in bed for the rest of the day. I’ve had some of those days! You know the kind of days that I am talking about. Those days when it seems like you just can’t catch a break. Let’s set the stage.

You are currently smack dab in the middle of your Brewing Ground. You are in the midst of one of your greatest trials ever. You wake up feeling particularly stressed about your current situation. It seems like it will never end and you are feeling so

weary and emotionally spent! Then, you see the time! “Oh No!” Your alarm didn’t go off; so, you are off to a late start. You are running around like a crazy person trying to get everyone ready. The coffee maker is not working – NOOOOO!!!! Now, the children are messing around, instead of getting ready. One of them has just spilled, what seems to be, a whole gallon of milk all over everything and everyone. How could there have possibly been that much milk in that cup? Everyone now has to change clothes plus the milk has to get cleaned up! This is a point in time when you WANT to cry over spilled milk. It is warranted! You almost NEED to cry over spilled milk for your own personal sanity. What a day – and you haven’t even left your house yet! You finally get everyone ready. Let’s go! As you reach for your keys, panic shoots through your body. You realize that in the chaos of children messing around and milk flying everywhere, your keys have disappeared! “Everyone retrace your steps – find my keys!” By the grace of God the keys are found fairly quickly and you get everyone to their destination in one piece. Victory! Only until you realize that, in all the chaos, you forgot to grab your phone! Of course you did! Why wouldn’t you? Before you can even think about how to solve your phone and coffee problem (not solving them is not an option), someone barges in with a huge work disaster that only you can fix! And of course only you can fix it! AHHHH!!! This is the point when you are ready to head back home and go back to bed! You pray, “Sweet Jesus please come back right now!” You open your eyes and you are still at work. Cue pitiful sigh, “HAAAA!!”

Although it may not seem like it in the moment, the small daily situations and frustrations will resolve themselves and pass quickly. The challenge with these situations is to keep your sanity and your cool. However, your Brewing Ground trial is not a situation that can be fixed nearly as quickly or as easily. It has already been a long road. In fact, God has you Waiting while He is working on your behalf. You are waiting for Him to turn this into one of Your Finest Moments. It will happen! While brewing and waiting, we trust God; but, it is so easy to become stressed, emotionally spent, weary, and exhausted! We have to keep coming back to God and letting go and resting in Him. Remember, He is orchestrating and directing one of the greatest shows of your life – one worth Waiting for! While patiently waiting, you must continue coming back to God to find rest in Him; He WILL renew your strength. This is the only way you will survive!

^“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV

As I am reading this verse I can actually visualize eagles gliding through the air with ease. Runners that just keep going, even after crossing the finish line. Walking an entire desert and not fainting. Can you image traversing your Brewing Ground with strength and endurance?! Just wait on God and trust Him and His perfect timing. God will renew not only your physical strength, but also your emotional and mental strength.

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 KJV

There is HOPE! God is with me! I CAN do this! I will trust and wait on Him!

Back to the day when we just want to go home and go back to bed. This is a point in time when you MUST stop everything and pray, clam yourself, regroup, refocus, and know that you will make it through this day! “God thank you that I have children to spill milk. Thank you that there is milk to be spilled! Thank you for extra clothes to change into. Thank you that I have a house to leave. Thank you for a working vehicle with gas to get us to our destinations safely. God, thank you for my job and for giving me the skills I need to do the job! Thank you for today; you still have work for me to do. I still have purpose! Thank You!” (You silently pause as you prepare your heart for this next part.) “God, thank you for my Brewing Ground. I KNOW that you will use it for good. I trust you. But, I am feeling so tired and weary. While I am still waiting patiently, I am coming to you to renew my strength spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. Meet me in this moment, in this day, on my Brewing Ground. I can not do this without you! I know this will be one of the greatest shows of my life; one worth waiting for. I can’t wait to see how it ends – It WILL be glorious! Thank You! In Jesus name I pray and claim it. Amen.”

Brew with Renewed Strength!

Your Finest Moments

September 19, 2016

Give me just a moment please; I’m going to grab a cup of coffee, or maybe some tea, before we begin. Would you like to join me? 🙂 (Elevator music playing!) OK, I’m glad that you made it back? You know, sometimes you just need a moment to sit down with a cup of coffee or tea (some of you may prefer a soft drink of some sort) and catch your breath, rest, and gather your thoughts. Maybe it’s a moment to reflect, or process something. I know I need these moments! These moments can be therapeutic; they can offer rest and can sooth the soul! Let’s talk about moments.

Life is made up of moments. Some are a literal moment; some even a split second. Some moments are fleeting and go by so quickly; and some seem to last an eternity. Some are good, some bad,

and some are just moments to get the job done. There are moments of joy, sadness, excitement, elation, grief, sorrow, pain, happiness, love, service, and the list goes on. But, you will find that there are particular moments in life that have a greater calling. Moments that have an impact on us as individuals and change our outlook or the course of our life. Moments that inspire greatness or moments of defeat. Moments that take your breath away; realizing God’s grandeur with a particularly beautiful sunset or holding your baby for the first time. Moments that take your breath away because it feels like you were just hit with a ton of bricks. That split second when you hear “the news” as the severity of it registers in your brain: a car accident, a severe life threatening illness, a death, a confession, a situation. These are the moments when you realize that things will never be the same again. These moments can change the direction of our life. Let’s take Mary for instance.

^“30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ³¹And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.” Luke 1:30-31 KJV

Wow, can you imagine getting THAT news. THAT news changes everything! It also carried with it possibly severe consequences for that season in her life, being unmarried but also engaged. Regardless of the consequences and the opposition she would face, she agreed.

^“38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38 KJV

And the angel was gone! It was probably all over before she even had a chance to process what was actually happening. Can you imagine her thoughts and emotions those first few moments after the angel left? I would imagine that human nature took over her mind. I can hear her conversation with God, “Wait a second! What just happened? What did I agree to? You want me to do WHAT? Do you know what this means for me?” I would think that was a moment that took Mary’s breath away; a moment when she had to stop and catch her breath? A moment she had to spend with God just letting go and trusting. I would also call this a defining moment. Despite what this would mean for her socially, she agreed. She stepped out in faith and trust in God. She realized that He was with her and He would somehow work it all out. She had to; how else would she make it through this situation! That doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard. So, defining moment – YES! A moment that will forever change the course of, not just her life, but also the world; and yet, it only lasted a moment. BUT, she seized the moment and her moment was the beginning of a journey. Let’s take a look at another defining moment.

Moses had led the children of Israel out into the wilderness of Egypt to deliver them from the grip of Pharaoh. The Pharaoh gathered the Egyptian army and they begin pursing the people of Israel. As the army begins to close-in, the Israelites realize they are trapped and begin to panic, get scared, lose faith, and question. Moses responds:

^“13And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. ¹⁴The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13-14 KJV

Then Moses needed a moment! His human nature was taking over and the reality of the situation caused him to catch his breath. After all, the loss would be so great if he was wrong. So, he took time to pray!

^“15And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:” Exodus 14:15 KJV

God responded! “Stop praying, it’s time to move! Here’s what you will do.”

^“16But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” Exodus 14:16 KJV

When Moses got to the waters edge with the Pharaoh’s army hot on their tracks he had to make a decision and take action. There was no turning back; that was certain death. The only option was the sea. Now, in that split second do you think there was a question in his mind? “So – I’m just suppose to put my rod up and stretch it over the sea and we will all be able to cross on dry land?” To believe this, required Moses to step out in faith and trust God. Who else had gone around parting seas before so a whole nation could cross on dry land! So, defining moment – YES! But, he seized the moment and his moment was able to continue the journey for the people of Israel.

Mary and Moses; what defining moments. Both of these individuals faced great opposition while seizing their defining moments. What if they would have given up or not followed through with what God was asking and brewing in them. How would this have changed our world even today.

God will place defining moments in your life. These will not look the same as they did for Mary and Moses. They may not be as grand and world changing with angels, giving birth to the savior of the world, and seas parting – or will they. Regardless, in those moments when you have to catch your breath, when you realize that things will never be the same again, in your defining moments, in the moments that change everything – I challenge you. I challenge you (even in the midst of sadness, grief, or heartbreak) to take a moment to embrace God’s brewing love. Catch your breath and try to think about what your moment could be or what God wants it to be. Seize your moment – good, bad or ugly! Let God use your worst moments to brew you and turn them into some of your finest moments – He will surprise you!

Let’s brew in the moment!