Did you know that darkness is just the void of light?  In other words, where light fills a room, darkness can't invade it and overcome it.  Where light exists, darkness cannot stay.  Even the smallest amount of light has removed darkness.  As a believer, we are filled with the Light of the World. 

Have you ever experienced a time where the Lord felt far away, or all you felt was heaviness and darkness around you?  How is it possible to have the Light of the World in you, and yet feel far away and only see darkness?

The verse above has held special meaning to me as I have often applied it to my own being.  I know what it feels like to be walking around as if I am a pile of dry bones. I may be functioning, but there is no life within me that I can grasp onto. Has anyone else felt this way at some time in their life?

These last few weeks have seen me fine-tuning my purpose and artistic medium with Father God. At the end of June I felt exhausted from learning, striving, pushing forward into new creative territory, so much so that I began to have doubts about whether fine art was really my “Gift” like I had thought.

Father is so, so good: no matter what we ask, so long as we ask Him, He’ll answer.
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Identity is a tricky thing. The world grabs us every. single. day. and yanks us around with messages about who we are, what we should be doing, how we should be thinking. If we aren’t spending enough time with Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, it is easy to find ourselves lost in the weeds.

I've had an old worship song stuck in my head all day,
"He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it.  Will be faithful to complete it.  He who started a work will be faithful to complete it in you."

Have you been there lately?  Looking at your circumstances and they don't quite match up with what you know God has promised you, or what you know to be true?  I have too. 

Many of us have heard the phrase, “Patience is a virtue”. But have we really stopped to think what exactly it means to be patient and why it should be a virtue for us all? While the scriptures often emphasizes the importance of patience, we now have quickly forgotten the very idea and the reason we have to tolerate seasons in our lives to realize incredible fruits of blessings.  
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Advancements in technology have brought us many good things. But, one entity it has also brought forth from the depths is this nasty character of impatience. We live in a generation of the instant; where we all need things done as soon as we begin them. We expect to have things in our hands right after we order them, we expect a perfect relationship with our partner without putting in the effort or expect growth in our businesses just as we set them up. While these are rather simple examples of impatience, we realize a similar pattern through our journey of life. 

Isn’t it great to be empowered? I looked up the definition of this word; this is what I found:

1. To give power or authority to; authorize, especially by legal or official means.
2. To enable or permit.

After reading this, I said the above verse again in a different way:

​Most of us have heard of the above scripture and about the servants who were faithful with the talents given to them and those who were not.  I ponder on the fact that many a time we are given things and what we do with them, whilst in our hands, is so important. 
 

• Are we mature enough to receive from the Hand of Yahovah / God?
• Does He trust us enough?
• Will we be faithful with the little so that we are able to carry more?

 
Something I have observed, and I believe Master Yeshua / Jesus has brought to my attention, is when my 3 ½ year old would cry for something, something he would want to play with and I would give it to him in the hopes that he would explore and learn something.  I would give it to him wanting to see what he would want to do with it.  Or when someone gives him a gift but the box says 5yrs and older, yet it is given to him to enjoy.  Unfortunately, days go by and the toy or item is broken into pieces or pieces are missing and scattered all over the house or even completely damaged.  At the time the gift was given to my son, he was actually not mature enough to receive the gift.

Where light exists, it's impossible for darkness to remain.  Even a small light changes everything.  Can you imagine how we must look in the spirit?  We are bright lights!  The Lord shines in us, and then shines through us bringing His light, and His life everywhere we go!  We need to remember who we are in Him, and the authority and life that we carry in us.

On a regular basis, we're accused by the accuser.  He's good at that, and He works hard to try to remind us of who we were, our failures, our problems and every negative view of our present circumstances.  That isn't enough though, for He tries to bring fear of what is to come.  The Lord has delivered us from all darkness, and brought us into the Light!  As long as we stay in agreement with the accuser's lies, we stay in the dark once again.  

Jas 1:2  My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Jas 1:3  knowing that the proving of your belief works endurance.
Jas 1:4  And let endurance have a perfect work, so that you be perfect and complete, lacking in naught.
 
This morning in my quiet time with Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, I felt He was asking me the question, “What do you think it means to endure through trial with joy”.  I usually ask my 3yr old questions as I want him to think for himself, it will get in quicker and will show me his level of maturity.  Scripture encourages us to mature and eventually move away from milk on to solid meat.  As I gave a few answers I realized that He was giving me the opportunity to really think about it and to change my perspective.
 
I don’t know how many times I have had to read James Chapter 1 but I know one thing is for sure is that the King is trying to teach me how to endure with joy.

You are free to be who God has created you to be.  Are you dreaming with God?  God has such a beautiful destiny written for each of our lives, and He's able to fulfill it!  

Along the way of our journey, as we're growing in who we are created to be there will always be those struggles or obstacles that challenge us to keep going in the vision God has put in our hearts.  Sometimes we even make decisions that take us on new paths, but God is still able to complete all that He has begun in us.  He really is that big. :)