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The confidence of my calling enables me to overcome every difficulty without shame, for I have an intimate revelation of this God. And my faith in him convinces me that he is more than able to keep all that I’ve placed in his hands safe and secure until the fullness of his appearing. 2 Timothy 1:12 TPT

Do you know what I love most about the Word? It’s applicable in so many ways and to so many seasons of our lives. It speaks in context in it’s intended purpose, but it also ministers in a very personal way. Just as an antibiotic may help with an infection in my toe, it also can be used to treat pneumonia. So the Word works in different ways for different things as needed.

Recently, someone made me aware of one of my many flaws and I lay in bed thinking about it. I began down the road of regret, which took me in the pit of despair, and as I sank deeper I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Perhaps you should see a counselor.” I smiled at that because He is my counselor and I felt Him smile as well at the recognition.

He began to minister to me by asking me if I remembered the movie, The Shack. He brought back to my mind the scene where Holy Spirit took Mac through his garden made up of all bad things that had happened over the course of his life. As he walked through his garden, it looked like a huge chaotic mess, but as the camera panned out to an arial view, it was the most beautiful garden ever. A masterpiece that only God can create.

I won’t go into all the Holy Spirit said to me, but here’s one little tidbit that may help you when your mind gets carried away. Leave it in His hands, He knows what to do with what looks like a giant heap of dung in your life. Those things make the best fertilizer. Out of those things bloom the most beautiful gardens.

I don’t have to carry shame or condemnation for what happened in my life. I have a deep revelation of God and what He is able to make out of all that. If He can remove the very stain of sin from my life, He is more than able to use what was meant to destroy me and use it for His good.

You see, it’s not just the good parts of me God wants to use, it’s the bad things too. I feel it’s my job to try and work on things and erase them from my life, when only God can do that. No other counselor can do what He can. When I focus on the problem, it becomes bigger than I can manage. But when I surrender it to Him, He will deal with it in His own time. It will not overwhelm me if I leave it in His hands.

In the mean time, my faith in His ability will keep me from going where I wasn’t meant to travel. I will stay in His presence and trust His timing to use the things I’ve been through to be stepping stones, not stumbling blocks.

Safe and Secure,

Sandy G