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Discovering God- Part One

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

Disconnected

If you’ve lost your way, don’t know what is true anymore, and feel numb, half-dead, no longer alive—Jesus can change everything. (John 1:4,5, Jer 31:9,25, Ps 43:3,5). There was a time when that statement would have felt prickly to me. And honestly, I might have wanted to punch you in the face if you’d told me that. Why? Because it was so cliche. I had real problems, a very real emptiness inside, and I didn’t need your empty religiosity.

But I now realize it’s so cliche until it isn’t. When Jesus became real to me, I realized He was exactly what I had been searching for. If you can relate, my heart aches for you to allow His Words into your soul—the soul that no longer seems to exist (Ps 116:7-9, Matt 11:28-30). Let Him show you a life that is abundant and full of purpose (John 10:10). Let Him teach you His ways and become your truth (John 14:6). God is waiting to be so much more than religious rhetoric. 

Uncertainty

I think so often we spend our lives trying to please a God who doesn’t exist. When we make the choice, either deliberately or unintentionally, to walk away from God, we don’t realize that the “God” we have “known” isn’t the God of the Bible (John 8:54,55, John 12:40, Is 6:10). Here, we find ourselves in a broken, confusing place of uncertainty without grounding. We burn out, question everything, and walk away. We walk away from the God that left us empty, never discovering a relationship with our Creator.

This part of my story began from a place of brokenness, but I have learned that breakthroughs are birthed in these places. I felt like a shell of myself, uncertain of who I was. I was done, mentally checked out, and walked away from the God I knew. But walking away from that God left space for discovery. 

Letting Go

The only way I discovered God was by walking away from the only God I knew—the God religion had taught me. The God who only loved me when I followed all the proper rules. The God who demanded perfection in exchange for eternal life.  The God whose Son had a name but wasn’t my personal Savior. No, the God I knew then wasn’t the same God who sent Jesus wrapped in humanity to save me. I didn’t understand my need for Him; I adhered to the correct doctrine. That’s the God I walked away from. But instead of spiraling down a dark path devoid of God, He placed in me a desire to seek Him and Him alone (Ps 16:2,4,11). 

Seeking

When  You  said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Psalm 27:8

 By God’s grace, in my vulnerable moments of questioning, I turned to His Word instead of the voices of this world (Ps 53:1). With curiosity and an open mind, I began reading the Bible as if for the first time. As I embarked on my adventure of seeking God, I vividly recall noting an exclamation point while reading Jeremiah 29:13 NCV, “You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!” I was seeking a God who was eager for me to seek Him. I had grown up with a foundation of faith, and now my initiation of that tiny speck that remained was all He needed to work with (Matt 17:20, John 6:44, Heb 11:6).

Taking a Chance in Faith

Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who genuinely want to find him. Hebrews 11:6

I longed to know who God was. I believed the Bible stories that had been instilled deep, and I wanted to know that God (Jer 31:31-33). The God I have discovered is nothing like who I thought He was. I learned the religious leaders crucified Jesus as He came to reveal the Father to us (Mark 15:1). He stirred up the people with His message (Luke 23:5). I invite you to let Jesus stir up your thinking about God and let Him introduce you to the One He came to declare (John 17:6-8,25,26). Jesus introduced me to a God who offers life, peace, and complete joy (John 14:19, 27, John 15:11). This God has given my life purpose and meaning (John 5:24, John 6:40). 

If we choose to accept God’s Word as truth, we learn that only Jesus can reveal the One True God to us (John 1:16,17). Therefore, everything must begin with a relationship with Jesus. With this truth, we must beware that any teaching not founded on a personal relationship with Jesus is a false doctrine (Matt 15:6-9, Is 29:13).

A New Perspective

I considered this analogy while describing my discovery of God to a friend. Discovering God is like snorkeling. I had spent much of my life walking the ocean shoreline, unaware that a vibrant, hidden world of life and color was waiting to be discovered beneath the surface (John 4:42)! It’s worth putting on the gear and getting into the water. Here, true freedom awaits (Ps 116:16, Ps 118:5). Open yourself to imagine there is so much more to discover. 

Intentionality

So, after experiencing disconnection and unbelief, I choose to believe. I choose to believe in a God who loves me so much that He gave His Son as a ransom to pay a debt I could never repay. I believe in the simplicity of God’s Word: if I have faith in Jesus, I receive life forever (John 3: 14-21). Because of this free gift, I show my love for Him by keeping His Words (John 14:15,21,23). The invitation stands: open the door of your heart and seek God while you can (Is 55:6, John 12:35,36, Rev 3:20). We have no guarantee of tomorrow, but we have this moment. 

There are only two choices, and we must decide. If you choose Jesus, what do you really have to lose?

Walking it out 

The best way to get to know Jesus is to read His Story. This link guides you to reading all the gospels in just 61 days, spending only a few minutes daily. If you are not ready for that commitment, I love the Book of John; start there. Whatever you choose, I encourage you to read as if you’ve never heard the words before and let Jesus teach you His ways and truth. 

🎵 This song gets me every single time!!! Listen Here 🎶
Other related pieces of my story:

clouds

To Know the Truth and Detect the Lies

by Caroline on category , , , ,

The deceit, the lie of the Devil consists of this, that he wishes to make man believe that he can live without God’s Word.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’ ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate.” John 18:37,38 NIV




I started this blog post four weeks ago, unaware I was on the precipice of sitting in a waiting room while my husband would be receiving life-saving treatment for a massive heart attack. That day, I learned another layer of abiding in all things. In those moments, I knew why God, through the Holy Spirit, gave me John 14 over two years ago. The peace that the world can not give, which Jesus promised, I received— a Holy gift. Beautiful memories now to hold onto and rest in.

Resume

Today, I want to pick back up on the message burning in my heart. In a world that seems to worship the god of confusion, we are left asking, much like Pilate, “What is truth?”. A question that has an answer.

The morning I began writing this, I had listened to the Glorify devotional. The narrator’s words, “It has been said the best lies are 99% truth,” gave me thoughts for contemplation. I began by thinking about what I know about truth. The question Pilate asked Jesus came to my mind, “What is truth?” and I reflected on Jesus’ words to His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”(John 14:6). 

Reflect

In a time of fact-checking (or the lack thereof), AI, and biased media, we ask the same question as Pilate, “What is truth”? This isn’t a new problem, substituting falsehood for fact; even our indifference to it isn’t new. Isaiah warned about this 700 years before the birth of Jesus. In a time, much like ours, when truth seemed to have fallen in the streets (Is 59:12-15). During the same period, the prophet Hosea spoke to a society, sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7)—sound familiar?

One hundred years later, 600 years before Jesus, Jeremiah warned of the same: “Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit, they refuse to know Me,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:5,6 and look up Jeremiah 7:8-10).

So, how does this pattern of accepting falsehood as truth apply to us? I think it means we have to admit its reality. We must accept that truth is often set aside completely or manipulated just enough to change its course. Whether it is distorted to gain control, omitted for convenience, fitting in, the desire to unite, or divide—lack of truth is still a lie. But, often, we would instead look for and accept as truth what our “itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim 4:3,4) and thus “distort the words of the living God” (Jer 23:36).

Refocus

The only way to know the truth in a society raging with lies is to get back to the words of Jesus, to the truth of God. Jesus told us the Holy Spirit will teach us all things (John 14:26). But we must be willing to learn from Him. We must acknowledge if we don’t know the truth from the Word of God, we don’t know the truth.

 I have learned, according to Jesus, that truth isn’t relative. We have to look at the events around us through the lens of the Bible; otherwise, we will get off track so quickly. “Tossed to and fro by winds of doctrine” (Eph 4:14). We have to dissect everything as we look through this Biblical lens. Considering things happening within our culture and the world around us, and our own beliefs. It goes back to the question: Why do you believe what you believe? We have to ask this about everything. 

If we follow the trajectory of accepting the one percent lie of the enemy within a truth, it will, over time, take us far off course. If we don’t know the Word of God, we won’t recognize the lies that Satan has built into beliefs and doctrines (Is 29:13). God’s Word has to be our only compass (2 Tim 3:15,16). We must return to the simplicity of this Truth (John 17:17).

Reconsider

Accepting the doctrine you’ve been handed, the words from your favorite devotional book, or biblical commentary as biblical truth is not enough. It’s not enough to accept as truth the words of your favorite influencer over knowing the words of Jesus. It is not enough to align with a political party just because that’s the way you’ve consistently voted. Or belong to a particular religion because it’s generational.

To sit in silence, failing to take a stand for or against some issues while clinging to others, because that’s how you’ve always believed, never willing to dig deeper to discover what is behind the issue, is not enough. We fool ourselves when we take anything for face value and refuse to do our research. (1 Thess 5:21 ). In John 8:44, Jesus warns us the Devil is the father of lies, but He promises to tell us the truth even if we don’t believe Him (verse 45). We must make a choice. 

Renewed Commitment

 Jesus says we can know the truth, the truth that will set us free (John 8:32, 36 and Ps 119:45-48), and it is possible to walk in that freedom (2 Timothy 1:7). Jesus also told us that we show our love for Him when we keep His commandments (John 14: 21,23). How will we know His commandments if we don’t spend time alone with Him (John 14:25)? Just as we have to discipline our bodies to function appropriately, we also have to discipline our spirit to become sensitized to the voice of God’s Spirit through stillness and time alone with Him. Many good things help us keep our minds on Him, but the Bible is the ultimate avenue through which He speaks to us, teaching us His Truth (Ps 119:105).

I want to share the following sermon with you. It is a timely message for those of us who consider ourselves followers of Christ. And for those who don’t know Jesus yet, I want to introduce you to Him; it is possible to know the Truth (John 14:6). Please take the time to listen to this message. It will help your relationship with Jesus as you seek to honor God.

What Are You Afraid Of?


If we claim to love Jesus and be Christians, learning His commandments and committing to applying them to all aspects of our lives is non-negotiable. We must be determined to walk in and act upon the truth we know. And if you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, He is inviting you into a new life now (Rev 3:20, Hebrews 3:7, 8, and 4:7). We must choose; there are only two options.

...but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward... Jeremiah 7:23,24

Living John 14: The Completion

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

For the last ten days, I’ve shared my declarations and prayers corresponding to John 14:22-31 on Instagram and Facebook daily. This summary is meant to be read as a response to these verses. I hope you have joined me on this adventure, and I pray this exercise has helped you build on the reality of abiding in Jesus. (If you haven’t been following along, you can click here to start from the beginning.)

Begin

Read John 14:22-31, and then use the following words as a framework to build your response to Jesus’ words.

Verse 22

I have to acknowledge this reality; not everyone will see You. This gives me courage and peace in holding onto what I believe. Just because others don’t understand doesn’t make it any less real. Jesus, please keep showing Yourself to me. 


Verse 23

Jesus, I love You, and I know the Father loves me. Therefore, I hide Your Words in my heart. I keep them because they are my Guide in this mixed-up world. I have experienced enough to believe that You and the Father abide in me. 

Verse 24

I understand that regardless of what people call themselves, if they are not keeping Your Words, they don’t love You—a compass for Truth, Your Truth that comes only from the Father. 

Verse 25

Being present with You, Jesus, has changed everything for me. As I sit with You, I learn the sound of Your voice; keep speaking to me.  

Verse 26

The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, teaches me. Everything I know and believe has come from Him alone. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, You are my only Teacher. And I claim Your promise that as I abide in You, You will bring to my mind the Words You have spoken, as I need them to glorify You.

Verse 27

Jesus, Your Peace has become my anchor. The things of this world don’t come close, so today, I chose to rest fully in Your Presence and Your embrace—this place where my heart is still and free. 

Verse 28

Jesus, I love You, so even when I don’t understand the circumstances, I will rejoice because I believe You have ascended to Your Father in Heaven, and You are coming back for me. I trust that there is more than what I can see. 

Verse 29

Jesus, I believe that Your Words are Truth, and I have Peace resting in You, no matter what the future holds. 

Verse 30

Jesus, only through You abiding in me can I withstand the prince of this world—the prince of everything evil and dark. Because I am filled with You, he has nothing in me.

Verse 31

Jesus, I lay everything down at Your feet again today so that the world may know that I love the Father. And, as Your Spirit has taught me, even so I do. I am ready; use me. 

Making it Real


What do these final words of John 14 prompt you to declare or pray back to Jesus? Are you beginning to internalize and apply them to what is pressing on you today? As you have been soaking up these words, I pray they are starting to feel like a love letter from Jesus to you. He spoke these words so long ago so they could change your life here and now. That’s the whole point of spending time in the Word and sitting quietly with Jesus—to create a space where He becomes real.

As you discover Him and His words sink into your soul, you will find moments are no longer mundane. Every breath, every second, and every challenge becomes a chance to lean in and let Jesus hold You, to let His Holy Spirit speak to you, a chance to see the Father. From this place, you will begin to see another Kingdom. A Kingdom that will never be shaken. As you become grounded in this reality, the Peace of Jesus will be yours.

Just the Beginning

Determine to make internalizing God’s Word a daily habit; this month in John 14 is just the beginning! Use this as a framework, but make it your own. God has laid John 14 on my heart to reveal Himself to me. I pray that what I have shared has given you a glimpse of what it means to abide and a desire to learn more for yourself. Consider: What does God want to use to reveal Himself to you today?

Living John 14: The Third Week

by Caroline on category , , ,

This last week, I’ve shared my declarations and prayers corresponding to John 14:15-21 on Instagram and Facebook daily; this summary is meant to be read as a response to these verses. I hope you are joining me on this adventure, and I pray this exercise is helping you build on the reality of abiding in Jesus. 

Begin

Read John 14:15-21, and then use the following words as a framework to build your response to Jesus’ words.

Verse 15

I love you, Jesus. Therefore, I will keep Your commandments alone. 


Verse 16

I receive the Comforter, Your Presence with me forever; keep reminding me, You are with me. 

Verse 17

Now, I know Your Truth and see it; I didn’t before You lived in me. I couldn’t comprehend. Thank You for opening my eyes; I receive Your Spirit of Truth. 

Verse 18

I trust You. You are always with me; I receive Your Comfort. 

Verse 19

No matter the circumstance, I choose to see You. I receive life eternal because You are Life Eternal. 

Verse 20

I see it so clearly now. You are in the Father, I am in You, and You are in me. You flood me with Your Presence when I rest in this reality.

Verse 21

Jesus, You have taught me Your commandments; I will keep them because I love You. I know the Father loves me because I love You. And it’s from this place that You reveal Who You are to me.

Making it Real


What do these words of Jesus in John 15-21 prompt you to declare or pray back to Jesus? How can you internalize them and apply them to what’s on your heart today? As you pour over these words of Jesus, are they beginning to feel like they were written for you? They were. Let them become real, sink into your soul, and transform your moments. As your moments change, so will every aspect of your life; to this, I can testify!

Join in Daily

I will continue sharing each day’s prayer and declaration on Instagram @discovering_sunrise. Join me on this life-changing journey; you won’t regret it!


Living John 14: The Second Week

by Caroline on category , , ,

This week, I’ve shared my declarations and prayers corresponding to John 14:8-14 on Instagram daily. This summary of last week is meant to be read as a response to these verses. As you join me on this adventure, I hope this exercise helps you build on the reality of abiding in Jesus. 

Begin

Read John 14:8-14, and then use the following words as a framework to build your response to Jesus’ words.

Verse 8

But sometimes, I need to hear it again; keep speaking to me, I receive. 

Verse 9

Jesus, Your words cut to my heart when You tell me You’ve been with me all along, but it wasn’t You that I saw. I was blinded by my pride, the doctrine of men, and beliefs that weren’t from You. I know now that You are the only Way to the Father. Experiencing You—is so different than just learning about You. 

Verse 10

Jesus, I believe You are in the Father, and the Father is in You. I believe Your Words are His Words, and what You do is Him, flowing through. 

Verse 11

Jesus, I believe You are in the Father, and the Father fills You. I believe in Your miracles; they are an overflowing of the Father. 

Verse 12

I will do miracles in Your Name because You have returned to the Father, this I believe. 

Verse 13

You will do anything I ask of You to glorify the Father through Your Name. I surrender my will to Yours. 

Verse 14

Lord, I want to reciprocate. Anything You ask of me, I will do. 

Making it Real

What do these words of Jesus in John 14:8-14 prompt you to declare or pray back to Jesus? How can you internalize them and apply them to what’s on your heart today? I am learning that our moments transform when we get the words off the pages and allow them to penetrate our hearts. As our moments begin to change, so will our lives!

Join in Daily

I will continue sharing each day’s declaration on Instagram @discovering_sunrise; I would love to have you join me on this life-changing journey!

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Living in the Reality of John 14

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

Declaring the Truth I have Discovered

The words of John 14, spoken by Jesus to His disciples long ago, are no longer just words to me. Through them, He speaks to my heart, and I’ve been learning to receive them, to internalize them, and to speak them over my life. As we are in another month with 31 days, I encourage you to read John 14 daily. I have internalized Jesus words spoken in John 14 and responded to them with a decalaration and prayer. Last week, I began sharing the day’s declaration and prayer corresponding to the verse on Instagram daily. This summary of last week is meant to be read as a response to the corresponding verse in John 14. I hope that this exercise inspires you to discover with me the realness of abiding in Jesus. 

Begin

Read John 14:1-7 and use these words as a framework to build your own response to Jesus’ words.

Verse 1

Jesus, I believe in God, and I believe in You. Today, I refuse to give fear, worry, and anxiety a place in my heart. 

Verse 2

Jesus, I believe that You are preparing an eternal paradise for Me. This world is not my home. 

Verse 3

Jesus, I believe You are in heaven preparing life beyond anything I can imagine and are coming back to take me there, to be with You forever. Knowing this, I have hope and comfort in this upside-down world. 

Verse 4

Jesus, You’ve shown me the way and already given me everything I need to experience this eternity. But I must choose daily to seek, search, and receive. 

Verse 5

Sometimes, I forget and complicate things; Lord keep teaching me. 

Verse 6

Jesus, I know You are the only Way to the Father. You are Truth and Life, the great I AM. 

Verse 7

From now on, I have no excuses not to know the Father. Through You, I have seen Him; I can know Him. 

Join in daily

I will continue sharing each day’s declaration on Instagram @discovering_sunrise; I would love to have you join me on this journey!

Discovering Unexplainable Peace in Surrender

by Caroline on category , , , ,

Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself. Worrying always results in sin.

Oswald Chambers

Recently, as I reflected on John 14:1, I wrote, “It all begins when we believe in Him—the antidote to a troubled heart. The acknowledgment of another Kingdom, one we see with our spirit resting in Him. So much of the way we live our lives is practical atheism. Our unbelief is robbing us of peace, His Peace. He promised it; we are the ones who, in our pride, refuse to believe it and receive it. Suppose we would only take Jesus’ words for Truth. Everything changed when I began internalizing these Words, receiving them, claiming them, and believing that what Jesus said was true. Everything.”

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after Elohim: Elohim is not in all his thoughts.” Psalm 10:4 

The morning I jotted those words down in my journal, God allowed me to walk in His promises, a real-life chance to practice what He’s been teaching me, abiding in all things. 

His Interruption

Driving to work, I glanced down; something in the road caught my attention… Lord, You know how much I hate seeing animals suffer. I have never shaken the early memory of watching a Jeep speed around the corner in front of our house, leaving my puppy lifeless in the street; I didn’t want to look. That memory still floods my mind in these scenarios. But here, He speaks to my heart, to look beyond myself and stop.

My heart ached as I approached a lifeless kitten. As I bent down to move its tiny body from the road, its eyelids slowly opened, revealing slate-blue eyes. I bent down and lifted it off the road, surprised not to see any visible injuries. It was soaking wet, so I wiped it off with napkins from the glove box as I prayed over this little life. “Lord, I know you see the sparrow fall; help me help him…” I see a truck coming in the distance; it stops. The driver, my husband, looks at me with a look I know all too well, yet says, “I can take him home and put him in the carrier,”…the next logical thing.

As I drove to work, I refused to have a heavy heart, God, into Your hands, I submit my will, my time, my worries, and all that I hold dear. This was the beginning of all the God puzzle pieces that came together that day, leading to the place where I hold a tiny, fluffy, purring kitten this morning, a little miracle. 

Trust, Again

A few days later, I was given another chance to trust as I experienced a spontaneous retinal tear. As I think about the events that led to the diagnosis and complete restoration of my sight, I am in awe of all God is doing in my heart. Through the daily practice of surrendering my will to His, He again gave me His peace, this time as my sight was threatened. 

Training Ground

God is teaching me to abide in all things through my daily circumstances. I’m learning to pick up the pieces He places in front of me and although sometimes with a sigh, look up to heaven, Ephphatha, now what? As I stood on the road that morning, I realized there was no anxiety in the transaction, just childlike trust. Lord, You brought this to my path; now what? And as my vision was threatened, I surrendered asking Him, now what? I am learning as I place the pieces back into His hands, He faithfully reveals the next step. I am no longer trying to solve all the hypothetical problems and future outcomes. I’m learning to be in the now and abide in real life. Surrendering my will, my time, and my ambitions to the One Supreme Yahweh, my Elohim, one moment at a time. 

Transforming Mundane Moments

So often, we look for the big moments and trials to prove our faith. But, I’m learning it’s in the everyday circumstances, that I learn to trust Him and see His hand. Learning to surrender the day-to-day is where we train for the life-shattering. Recognizing His Peace and Presence transforms the mundane. 

“For I Yahweh thy Elohim will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Is 41:13

Building on Surrender

I ache to share this newness of life that I have discovered. Abiding in His Presence is a place where unexplainable peace floods unexpected places (John 14:27). I am learning it all hinges on surrender. But the truth is, we cannot fully surrender to One whom we do not know. When I determined to know God through the lens of the Bible alone, He revealed Himself to me through Jesus (John 14:21). As I’ve learned who the Father is, through the life and death of the Son, everything has changed! It began with setting aside everything I had believed about God. I chose to allow His Spirit alone to teach me (John 14:26), and I began to see His Word in a new way.

Begin Living

I invite you to join me on this journey of experiencing the Peace only Jesus can give. It’s no longer just theory for me. I will keep sharing how He changes my life to encourage you to seek Him with intention. I’m confident if you give Him the chance, He will reveal Himself to you in ways you never imagined! He will bring life, joy, and peace into your everyday moments.

When Surrender Becomes More than Theory

by Caroline on category , , , ,

“Into Thy hands I commit my spirit…”(Luke 23:46, Ps 31:5) and all I hold dear. Again. I just can’t let this concept go—learning to abide in all things. When the pet whose tail used to wag, you’ve laid in the grave, into Thy hand. When the baby you used to rock is now wearing a cap and gown, into Thy hand. When the expenses seem to outweigh the cash flow, into Thy hand. When the body aches and you don’t have the energy to go on, into Thy hand. When you take the leap of faith, and it’s not what you expected, into Thy hand. These are the places where we discover the Secret Place. The place where we learn, He is our Strong Rock, House of Defense, Fortress, and Strength (Ps 31:1-4). In surrender, we discover comfort, security, and peace (John 14:27).

This is My Worship

“If you abide in me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). The power in abiding; heaven at our fingertips, and the Father is glorified (John 15:8). I need to hear this again: when we abide in Jesus, we glorify the Father. Abiding becomes an act of worship and transforms us into disciples who bear fruit. Real. Genuine. Childlike—and the world around us changes—real-life abiding. The place where I choose to take His words for truth, trusting and sheltered, my identity in Him, the Secret Place of the Most High (Psalm 91:1).

As the puzzle pieces of life resurface, I am learning to hand them back, continually looking to the Father. These places where we anticipate miracles are easier to see at the end of rationalization, the place of Jehovah-Jireh, the Secret Place. The place where my soul is set free from the constraints of worry and the lies from the enemy— is the secret place. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy Presence (Psalm 31:20 and John 14:22), the place the world doesn’t see, but you see, “because you’ve been with me.” (John 15:21 and 14:25). The Secret Place of His Presence, with us, within us, forever (John 14:16). This connection to the Father, through Jesus, has the power to transform our lives, bringing hope and rest (Matt 11:28-30), but we must surrender to receive it.

His Presence, Our Peace

When we repeatedly declare the words of Jesus and the Father in our lives, they become real. When His Presence becomes real, He becomes our Hiding Place and Shield (Psalm 119: 114), and there is no room left for the enemy’s lies. We have to use our everyday experiences to grow our faith. In the hard places, when we choose to step back and surrender, we will see Him. He is closest in the thick darkness (Ex 20:21). I’m learning to lean in. This journey of faith and trust is not always easy, but it is in these moments that we discover He is our strength and resilience.

Learning to Abide

I encourage you to discover the power of abiding by being open, Ephphatha, to Jesus’ words in John 14. If you’d like to dig deeper, I’ve written 31 daily devotionals, Learning to Abide, that I hope will resonate and draw you into a closer relationship with Jesus.

Spirit Lead Me 🎶

rock in between grass and flower

Out of My Hands

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it…

Joshua Becker

Minimalism has taught me the art of letting go. I’ve learned the necessity of release to move towards something better. This outlook has changed every aspect of my life. And now, I am learning the most challenging surrender: my will. Encompassed in my will are all of my “supposed to be’s,” these plans I make, and how I think life should go.

Circumstance

I hadn’t planned for my sweet dog to have an invasive tumor forcing its way through his skin, tight and breaking, slowly stealing his health. I don’t want to be in this place where I feel torn, where I’m trying to determine the best care for him, attempting to plan now for an unknown future. This echoes many circumstances where we run through scenarios and create hypothetical futures trying to make the “right” decision. It becomes paralyzing; we become trapped in analysis and worry.

Compass

As I kept thinking about my dog, praying for God to intervene, I realized how much my mind had spiraled. My heart was troubled—so far removed from the peace I crave (John 14:1, 27). This Peace is my compass. His way is rest and peace; if that’s not how I feel and the way isn’t clear, I am learning to wait for direction (Ps 27:14 and Ps 62:4-8) and rest in Him (Ps 46:10). 

Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. Psalm 31:5

Determining to let go, I discovered Psalm 31:5. I’m learning to let the One who has redeemed me carry my burdens. Each time I begin to worry, I recommit my spirit, will, and everything I hold dear to the One who is greater than me. He is God, and I am not (Hosea 11:9).

Release

This is where the battle for our will is fought. The Enemy knows this and is relentless. He is always there whispering doubt, pressing in, heavy. Therefore, I must learn to surrender control to my Father again and again and again. I must choose to completely surrender my will and rest fully in His embrace, where He promises to hide me in the secret of His Presence (Psalm 31:20), the place the world can’t see (John 14:19,20 and 2 Corinthians 4:18), where we find soul rest. In John 16:33, when Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble…” He promised us His peace for these places where everything is spinning around us; our circumstances don’t have to overtake us (John 14:27).

Even Here

Wherever I am, He is, and soul rest is possible (Ps 139:10-12). It’s these ugly-beautiful places where we see God turn ashes to beauty, morning to dancing, praise for heaviness, gray to color, vibrant, we come alive (Isaiah 61:3) and discover joy, as Jesus promised (John 15:11). When we stop clinging to what we think “should be” or “could have been” and accept the place we are, we can find true freedom in surrendering all to Christ. The miracle here may not be that my dog receives healing but that through surrender, I can enjoy the moments I have with him without worrying about what’s next. In the middle of tail-wags and tears flowing, it’s here that I rediscover the blessing of moments right in front of me (Ps 138:3).

Open Hands

This type of surrender cannot coexist with worry. Just as complaining and gratitude cannot share breath, neither can worry and surrender. Let not your heart be troubled, believe (John 14:1). Jesus is giving us His template, His strategy: complete surrender of every thought, ache, desire, worry, and scenario. Jesus taught this to his last breath (Luke 23:46).

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46

Full Submission

This is where the battle is fought: our will. I can cling to control, or I can surrender to My God—The Almighty Father who says to me, “Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name: you are Mine…(Isaiah 43:1)…I will go before you… I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places (Isaiah 45:1-3).

God keeps teaching me it’s worth releasing my control to His Sovereignty. Today, if you are in a hard place, lean in. Don’t fight; I’ve learned that it’s in the darkest places we discover who He can be to us. Exchanging worry for that soul peace of Jesus (John 14:27) is worth it every time.

Discovering John 14: The Completion

by Caroline on category , , , ,

John 14:29

Several years ago, as I began to use minimalism to remove layers from my life, I began to uncover free time. I started using this time to treasure hunt in the Bible. I found more than recordings of ancient history; I discovered God’s character and plan to restore His relationship with His creation. Before, I had rushed past verses, not realizing how the Old Testament was so connected and deeply interwoven with prophecies about Jesus’ first and second arrival to earth. In this verse of John 14, Jesus asks His disciples to dare believe that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, and in His resurrection, He promised them confirmation. He tells them that the words He has spoken about the future will come to pass, just as those spoken by the prophets long ago were fulfilled in Him. This gives us so much hope in a world filled with uncertainty. Jesus promised it, and we can trust Him; He is coming back!

John 14:30

I had never considered Satan as the prince of this world before immersing myself in John 14 and hearing Jesus refer to him this way. This explains so much about the pain and disruption we see all around us and feel within; we are living in Enemy territory. His scheme is to disrupt the relationship between humanity and our Creator. Jesus has been teaching that He is in the Father, the Father is in Him, and the Spirit of Truth dwells in us—this is what it means to abide. To be filled so wholly and entirely with the Presence of God that there is no space for the prince of this world. With these words, Jesus gives us His strategy: leave no room for the Enemy. Abide.

John 14:31

I can’t think of a better declaration for this year! “But that the world may know that I love the Father.” Purpose. Every word and action of Jesus was an act of worship to His Father, evidence of His love. His life was an overflowing of this love, and His death, the final proclamation of it. Jesus understood the purpose of His life because of His relationship with His Father; this is the only way we will discover direction and purpose for our lives. It all begins with a relationship, in the quiet place where we learn His voice and commands. And from here, when we submit our will and let go of control, we declare our love for the Father. As Jesus concluded this conversation with His disciples, He followed it with another statement, “Arise, let us go from here.” Like His disciples then, we are not meant to stay in the upper room, where it’s comfortable and safe. Therefore, let’s go out and declare to the world that we love the Father!

Reflecting

If you have taken the time to meditate daily on John 14, I pray that your relationship with Jesus has deepened as you’ve absorbed His words. I hope you’ve read them in a new way that changes how you see the world and your present circumstances. A way that helps you release control and rest more fully in Him.

Keep Seeking

As we move into another new month, I encourage you to build on this momentum of daily treasure hunting. I love John 15 through 17, where Jesus builds on many of the concepts from John 14 in these final chapters before His death. I am learning; this is only the beginning of learning to abide—in all things!

Learning to Abide: Thirty-one Days in John 14

I’ve added a page on the menu where you can easily find this series; you can find it by clicking here. You can also still find the daily posts on Instagram @discovering_sunrise.

Treasure Life.

✕