And So The Story Goes...

In my previous post I spoke of some dreams.  A week ago oddly both my sister and daughter had a dream whereby... "We Win!"

In my sister's dream there were people coming up to her and saying "You won!  You won!" and my daughter had a dream whereby she, her boyfriend and her siblings were in a fierce battle, and right before waking her oldest sibling looked at her and said... "We won!  We won!"

But... as is written,
"If you would know victory, you must have conflict."
I sense most of us have been feeling "conflict" especially as of late.

And so the story goes...

"A young man went to an aged saint on one occasion and asked him to pray for him, saying...

 "I find myself giving way to impatience continually.  Will you please pray for me that I may be more patient?'  

The old man agreed.  They knelt together and the man of God began to pray:

 "Lord, send this young man tribulation in the morning, send this young man tribulation in the afternoon..." The young man nudged him and said, 

"No, no, not tribulation, patience!" 

Then the old man said, "If you would know patience you must have the tribulation.  If you would know victory, you must have conflict; it is ridiculous for anybody to talk about having a victory when they have never been in a conflict.  You must be prepared to enter into the arena with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and He will give you lessons day by day.  But I warn you, you will have to be quite prepared to pay the price.  No one can enjoy victory without paying a price, even in the ordinary realms of life." 

(excerpt from Streams In The Desert W. J. Brown)

That is a little story the Lord brought to my attention.

A few days ago I went to the Him for strength in my conflicts and I sensed this in my spirit...

"I have so much waiting for you.  You have not given up.  You come to Me in your weakness and you commune with Me. Then I said, "Lord, if I would talk to you all the day long, you would be there for me.  You are omnipotent."  I heard, "Yes, I am here for you all the time.  I am there like that for all of my children.  If only My children understood that I am always there for them.  There is nothing more important to Me than communicating with them.  You come to Me to gain strength.  So many of My children struggle on without Me.  You have made Me your best friend.  I have so much reward for you.  If not, what kind of a friend would I be?"

Then mere moments after hearing the above, I came across this which was a confirmation for me...

"I treasure your heart as if it is the only heart on earth. You have My full attention at all times. Every one of My children have My full individual attention. I am not limited by space and time. So I treat each of My children as if they were My only child. They have My full love and concern. I can do this because each of My children is hidden in Christ. You are each the recipient of the love, grace, and favor that I pour on Him"

Jeffrey Stewart  - Facebook - 09/17/17

Yesterday was another hard day.  I looked at Jackie and said... "Why Jackie, Why?"  I put my hands up into the air and said...

 "Lord, this is going to be the death of me!"  And I heard...

"That's exactly what I want of you."

I was still for a moment, then it hit me...

"I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Galations 2:20

"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Col. 3:3

And I heard... "Did you not ask Me to make you a saint?"

"Did you think it would be easy?"

O Lord, I'm so weak...

Give me strength!

Mark Mallett has a helpful post here...Understanding the Cross and here... Participating In Jesus

The Lord gives lessons day by day,
 And so the story goes...