Tag: pressing in

stripping away the veil

Karla Lees

You have been teaching me a necessary lesson over these past few weeks, God.

I keep putting up veils to shield myself from seeing You directly.

You Yourself valued being able to see us face to face so much You died on that cross to rip the veil, to make it clear You were approachable, and passionate about being with us….not just while You were physically on earth but now & forever.

In my ignorance, I put barriers up between us. 

That I have to be right (impossible without You) before I can come to You.

You whisper, “Just come.”

That You don’t want the broken pieces, but only me as a whole.

You wipe my tears and say, “Come as you are.”

That only the right words or right music are fit & pleasing offerings for You.

You smile, and remind me, “Your whole life can be, and is, an offering when you are Mine.”

My part?

To pursue Him.

Unabashedly, no holds barred, flat out pursuit with everything I’ve got.

If I can’t hear properly, pursue You through silence. Your Word. Listening in my spirit.

If I can’t speak properly, pursue You with the bubbling up of praise spoken within my mind, worshiping along with music, reading the Psalms to find how I am feeling & offering it to You again as if fresh & new.

If I can’t write or type, i will speak or sing my heart out as I praise & worship You for who You are.

If I cannot see over or beyond my pain, to lift it to You as all I am able to offer in the moment.

Any way I choose to earnestly pursue You is a welcome offering to You God.

As the song by Jesus Culture states so eloquently,

I WILL pursue You,
I will pursue Your Presence.

For it is my choice to pursue You NO MATTER WHAT.

You, Your Presence, Your Word, my sole pursuit for the rest of my days on earth, and the promise to come!

Because without You, I find I exist, but i don’t truly live.  You came that we may have life to the fullest with You, not just an existence apart from You.

I can’t live without Your Presence.

So strip it all away, Lord.
Whatever is keeping me from my pursuit.
May I only pick up what You would have me use to continue my pursuit of You, and You alone.

Your Presence is life.
Real life.

Not settling for anything less.

Am i scared about this means?
You betcha.

But I am planning on doing it afraid, because He is so worth my all.

And when i get to see Him face to face, I long to know He was pleased with my pursuit.

#heartcry
#iwillpursueYou
#hopeinHisPresence

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only part of the story

Karla Lees

Oh as you run,
what hindered love
will only
become part of the story.

–Steffany Gretzinger, Come out of Hiding

A few weeks ago, I took part in a night of prophetic teaching, and one of the words spoken was the lyrics to this song.

It snuck past my defences, and opened my heart to receive the words God wanted me to hear. My tears, oh how they flowed!

I have lived my life with too much fear & regret, feeling like there are too many chapters I wish I could rip out of my story.

But looking at my life from my perspective is not what I am meant to do.

I am meant to lean into God, and press in for the promises and purpose He has for me.

Not to take a long look back at what was, but to keep my eyes fixed on Him & what He has ahead for me.  I am not a waste, or the sum of my mistakes.

Part of sharing my story is how God is shattering my vision, removing my faulty lie lined glasses, and let me see His vision instead.

God doesn’t use an eraser, or liquid paper, or start our story over.

He takes away the hurt, the pain, and restored the broken places of the past chapters, and helps us write each day moving forward with his help & strength.

He doesn’t remember the past.

At all.

Its a new day, every day with Him.

And because of that amazing mind-blowing aspect of His character…..

My story isn’t finished yet, and neither is yours!

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We can have hope, because what the enemy intended to use against us becomes only part of our story in God’s hands & plans.

With His grace, we can live our story unhindered!

Its time to step into the light of His grace,

gaze on His face,

and move into the place

He has waiting for us!

#pressingin

#thestorycontinues

#comeoutofhiding

#hopeinHisPresence

Sunday Psalm: Pursuit

Karla Lees

I am pressing hard after You.
Hot & heavy,
without restraint or abandon.
I keep running towards You,
through stormy gale,
fiery darts & red herring whispers
trying to lead me astray.
My intent is see You
face to face,
to make it Home-
the one place
where I belong.
Where I am known
as Beloved.
I may come limping,
hoarse or racked with pain,
but I will keep coming.
I will not be deterred.
My pursuit has one singular focus:
Jesus.
Nothing but Jesus.
I will pursue only Jesus
into eternity.
You are always and forever enough for me,
no matter the season.
I will always arrive on time
when You guide my path
& I walk to the beat of Your heart.

#hopeinHisPresence
#SundayPsalm

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beyond beyond

Karla Lees

We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

–C.S.Lewis, the Problem with Pain

Pain has become an almost constant companion to be over the past several years.  Not the occasional accidentally whacked myself on the bedside in the middle of the night, or tripped over a Barbie head on the living room floor (yes, I confess, done those!)
but the consistent cry of my joints in pain.

I am currently having some sort of arthritis like flare hitting my hands and feet right now, in particular three fingers on my left hand.

As someone who uses her hands for a living, and who loves to crochet, this has not only impacted my physical daily life & livelihood…it has tried to invade mentally, emotionally & spiritually.

Not being able to easily do things I used to take for granted, like opening ziploc bags. Leaves me mentally frustrated.

Too many of those kind of incidents, or not taking enough time to rest between tasks leaves me feeling useless and low.

Not understanding why this is happening, or why it randomly flares out of control when it does leaves my faith shaken in a storm of emotions.

That’s how I look at my pain from my point of view.

God however doesn’t look at things quite the same way, does He?

I went downstairs this afternoon to hang some laundry, and prayed as I do so. Bearing my heart to God, I bluntly told Him that I didn’t know why this was happening, but I believe He wants the best for me, and in order for me to make it through, I need to know He is with ne in my pain, right where I am at. I need Him to tangibly show me.

A sense of peace washed over me, and I knew in my spirit, He heard me, He is with me, and He is for me.

I don’t know any more than you do what tomorrow will bring.

I do know that my God is present, in my here and now.  I am not alone in my pain.  I have asked Him to heal me, and when I worship the pain tends to lessen, so I am pressing in believing for a miracle.

But the greater miracle to me?

Having God with me each moment. Every single now that I have.

For He says,

I am more than enough for what you are going through:

I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

-Philippians 4:13

He is worth my trust & praise:

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.

-Psalm 28:7

Despite my pain, I will continue to give Him praise.

He has always been on my side through thick or him, and always will be.  He reminds me that my pain is important because it bothers me, and what bothers me, bothers Him.  Because He loves me so much, He even knows each hair on my head, and collects each tear I cry!

Pain may be wanting to be heard above all,  but first and foremost God hears my heart.

I need to remember to keep it in its place as a temporary part of me  and limit how it tries to affect my whole person.

I want my voice to be known heard shouting His praise, not giving undue voice to my pain.

God takes me beyond beyond, to quote Priscilla Shirer. He blesses us beyond what we can hope or imagine, for He is so big & beyond what we can even comprehend, He is beyond beyond!

I am pressing in & claiming verses like the one below on the days where I need to put pain in its place:
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May He take you beyond beyond in whatever you are facing today too. All things are possible in Him!