I recently began sharing with you about the Amazing Love Women’s Retreat. (Part 1 here) I experienced a truly intimate time in God’s presences during my quiet time. I glimpsed the immeasurable love our Heavenly Father has for us. After this powerful quiet time, I was looking forward to hearing from one last speaker, Pam Behal.
Pam shared about God’s love through you from 2 Corinthians 4. She explained God’s abundance is full of endless beauty and is much bigger and greater than ours. But, we often develop a “good life” idol or a me-centered idol. Pam asked us, What are you praying for? What is your reaction when things fall apart? When things go wrong, do you ask yourself, what did I do wrong? Do we have a “help me fix it” reponse? Do we ask God to makes us feel better? This can make our idea of God’s abundance small.
She went on to explain that God wants to move us closer to His abundance.
“Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ‘I believed, and spoke,’ we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence.” (2 Corinthians 4:13-14)
God wants to include us in His family of abundance.
Pam shared her story with us. It is a powerful story of how God moved her and her family from a small idea of His abundance, into a hidden adventure of His grand abundance. And it isn’t without heartache. But, she puts her trust in God.
She shared that when we trust God, we can move from our own small idea of His abundance into His grand abundance. We have to ask ourselves, where is God when I hurt? Where will I be when God allows pain? Relief comes when we realize God is in control. And when we repent of our own small ideas of His abundance.
Pam reminded us that trusting God requires faith.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
He is a good Father. He wants so much more for us than our own small ideas of His abundance. When we trust God and live in His grand abundance, we are able to share that with others.
“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15)
When Pam finished sharing, I felt like I had been robbed of all the peace and love I felt during my quiet time. And I know just who is trying to rob me of that peace, the enemy.
The enemy can’t stand when we get close to God and he will do whatever it takes to pull us away (John 10:10). He does not want me to believe in God’s abundance. He cripples me with one of his favorite weapons, fear. The “what ifs” crowd my mind again. Can I really trust God? What if something bad happens? I admit that I am living a me-centered idea of His abundance. I don’t want things to go wrong and I think I am in control of making sure things don’t.
The enemy doesn’t want me to trust God because something bad may happen. There is no peace in believing this lie. It is only by putting my trust fully in God that I will find true peace. Where will I be when God allows pain? I want to be in His grand abundance, not in my small idea of it. Jesus said, “I have said these things to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
We closed out the weekend with a time of worship and sharing on Sunday morning. During worship Sarah played a song, No Longer Slaves by Bethel Music. I couldn’t even sing the words, I was so overcome. Instead, I just listened. Every word of the song is still the cry of my heart.
You unravel me with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance from my enemies
‘Til all my fears are gone
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
As I listened to this powerful song, I think back over the weekend – the closeness of His Spirit, the community and fellowship with the other women, the powerful messages delivered by each speaker, but, mostly the amazing reminder of how great and awesome my Savior is! He loves me. And His perfect love cast out all my fears (John 4:18)! I didn’t realize when I was driving up the mountain to the retreat that I would leave so changed. But thankfully, God knows what we need even before we do.
Father,
You are our hiding place. When the enemy wants to crush us with fear and doubt, we can trust
You to quiet our minds and fill our hearts with Your perfect love and peace. You are a good father.
Amen