Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson Wendy Robinson

When did you last do an audit of the words you speak? Are you speaking “faith and life” or “fear and death”?
Late last year we were facing another challenging medical situation with our daughter, Victoria. I found myself going down that path of fear. I was spending time with God, a lot actually due to a broken wrist slowing me down! In these times I was primarily looking for reassurance and comfort. I was not speaking faith into Victoria’s situation.
Something changed in the Be Still moment But then something changed.

During one of those quiet times with God, I was sitting on a seat in the park, asking Him for a word for our family for this year, 2024. Yes, another Be Still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10) moment. He drew my attention to an image that was directly in front of me - two rectangular sandstone blocks, with a narrow gap in between.
 
Beyond the gap, the grass ran down to the wide open expanse of the lake. As I looked at this image, God gave me these words, “I am the Way Maker.” 
Don’t we all love the Way Maker song
"Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are"
What a powerful declaration of Who God is.
God's Word speaks life God gave me three scriptures to go with the image:
“This is what the LORD says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,” Isaiah 43:16 NIV
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 NIV
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
Three life-giving scriptures, asking of us, Do we have the faith to believe that God made a way through the sea? Do we trust that He is making a way in the wasteland? Do we have the courage to keep walking on the narrow road that leads to life?
God in His graciousness had given me a way to speak faith and life into Victoria’s situation. 
God encourages each one A bit more on this story about the way maker word ….
At the beginning of each year when I get a word for our family, I make an A4 poster, laminate it and give a copy to each family member, so they can have it ready on hand for encouragement throughout the year.  I'm under no illusion as to what has happened to these posters in the past - I've seen them peeking out from under a pile of papers on desks!
But this year was different - perhaps because it had the photo of the sandstone blocks and the way through. This year some chose to put the poster on the wall above their desks, some on the wall near their beds. But all put it in a visible, easily accessible place. I need that extra bit of encouragement so I have two posters - one near my desk, and one near my side of the bed! 
The Way Maker makes a way Since the beginning of January, there have been at least 8 significant crossroads for people in our family, and each time, we have called on this word from God, declaring, “God you are the way maker, we are trusting that you will make a way through this - Your will be done, in Jesus Name.” 
God knew that each person in our family was going to need to speak ‘faith and life’ into situations this year, and that each would need His encouragement to do so. God always knows!
In each circumstance God has clearly made a way, showing us that He is sovereign, powerful, gracious and kind. Often too in these situations, it has felt like God has been asking us these questions, Do you trust Me in this situation? Do you have the patience to wait? Will you humble yourself and acknowledge that I am Lord of All? Oh God so wants us to mature!
Maturing in our faith James speaks to us about this maturing process, 
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face

Have you ever said to yourself, “There is not enough time to do all this.”?  I have and it's normally followed up with a huge sigh of exasperation! Then the Holy Spirit reminds me of something I heard a few years ago, “God will always give you enough time for what He wants you to do.”
 
Press pause! Does that mean I am doing things that God doesn’t want me to do? Does that mean I am doing things differently from how He wants me to do them? Sounds like it is time to check in with God and find out.
 
Getting direction from God   Let's look at those questions again, firstly "Am I doing things that God doesn't want me to do?" Or it could be asked this way, "Am I going in the direction God has for me?" In Psalms, we read,
 
“The steps of the God-pursuing ones follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord, and God delights in every step they take to follow him.” (Psalm 37:23 TPT).
 
So when we have those thoughts of "There is not enough time" perhaps it is a good idea to pause and check in with God on the direction we are taking. Oh! there is again, that "Be Still and know that I am God" attitude. Maybe a prayer like, "God, am I doing what you want me to do? Am I following the path you have for me? Please show me if I have gone off track and am doing things that are outside your will for my life."
 
Jesus is a wonderful example of only doing what His Father, God, our Heavenly Father, told him to do. In the Gospel of John we read that Jesus said,
 
"I do what my father tells me to do. I do that so that the people of this world can know that I love my father.” (John 14:31 PEV)

An aside: Jesus had complete clarity about why He was being obedient to His Father, "so that people of this world can know that I love my father."  The Passion Translation says it this way,

"I am doing exactly what the Father destined for me to accomplish, so that the world will discover how much I love my Father." (John 14:31 TPT)
So a question for us - "Do we have that level of clarity about the motives of our actions?"
  Right direction, but not sure on the "how"  
Perhaps the answer is "Yes," we have clarity on our motives. We are confident we're being obedient to God and going in the direction He is leading us. However, we are still feeling overwhelmed with all that has to be done, "There is not enough time to do all this!"
So then we need to look at the "how" and ask the question, "Am I doing things God's way?"
 
We have the direction, but we need more of God's wisdom on how to take each step. In the book of Proverbs we read, 
 
"A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life]. But the LORD directs his steps and establishes them." (Proverbs 16:9 AMP).
 
We know there are often many ways to get to the end goal, but not all are efficient, and not all are the ways God wants it done.  We need to remind ourselves that God’s ways are higher,
 
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV)
 
God's ways are higher - always - not just sometimes. God knows the bigger picture.
 
God has the bigger picture  
We don’t even know what will happen later today, or tomorrow, or next year. Receiving a ‘surprise’ medical report or receiving an unexpected promotion at work, reminds us of that.
 
James 4:13-15 tells us,
 
“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 NIV)
 
A

Saturday morning was damp and humid, perfect mosquito conditions. Sometimes walking in this place can feel like mosquito feeding time! However, this morning I realised no mosquito had come near me. My thoughts moved to the insect repellent I had put on before walking. I have two types of repellent I use, a spray from one brand, and a roll-on from a different brand. Today I applied the roll-on and it was definitely providing the full protection and I was grateful.
God's protection Oh, my brain suddenly started going off, thinking about all the parallels between putting on the protection against mosquitos and putting on the protection God gives us to keep us safe from the enemy in the spiritual battles we face each day. Ephesians 6 is one of the chapters in the Bible where the Apostle Paul gives us some very clear directions about putting on the armour of God. He says,
“Put on God’s whole armour [the armour of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 AMPC
Is the protection effective? The armour that God supplies is the best! No questions there. 
But with the mosquito repellent, from my revelation on Saturday, I know that there are different levels of protection. I wonder if it is the application method (ie roll-on vs spray) or the repellent content that makes the difference? or both? Perhaps I might have to do a test on that! But in the interim, I will make sure that I am prepared and have the roll-on repellent with me for future walks. 
Protection preparation So that brings up another question, how prepared are we when it comes to protection on our spiritual walk? How many times have you heard someone say "we are in a spiritual battle"? What does that mean to you? The Apostle Paul explains about the spiritual battle,
“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly [supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:12 AMPC
The spiritual battle is real Just as mosquitos and the impact of their bite is very real, so are the spiritual enemies of God. This week someone shared with me about a dream they had where a demon came into their room and said “I am real”. This person’s response was to go to God’s word and seek after the truth. The truth in God's word is one of the pieces of armour God has given us - “the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). 
We need to know about the spiritual armour we have access to and be daily putting it on.  Joyce Meyer says,
“It is important for us to see that we cannot fight darkness with darkness. I believe the best way to resist and overcome our powerful spiritual enemy is not by venting our anger and frustration in some fleshly manner. Rather, we need to put on our spiritual armour as described in Ephesians 6:13-17 and yield ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within us as we pray (see Ephesians 6:18).” The Everyday Bible - Joyce Meyer, p1945
Gaps in the protection lead to distraction Sometimes I am in a hurry to get going on my walk. I forget to apply the repellent to my neck. When I have my hair up the back of my neck can be vulnerable to mosquito bites. I can hear them buzzing around my neck and I spend my walk continually shooing and slapping them away. They become a distraction, impacting on the purpose of my walk, which often is to have conversations with God - talking and lots of listening.
And so too it can be for us if we are not putting on the full armour of God daily. Each part of God’s armour has its purpose. We don’t want any chinks in the armour where the enemy can come in and distract us.
The Message Bible says, 
“Be prepared. You’re up again

Do you need some encouragement to finish that project?
How many times in your life have you started a project and struggled to complete it? Perhaps you are in that situation right now! Where do you go to get the encouragement you need to finish a project? 
Striving to find a way So many times in my life I have been unable to find a way through. I strive to find the strategy, to find the key to moving forward.
When I feel myself striving this way, I know there is only one action to take - Be Still. Yes, Psalm 46:10 again! I keep coming back to that very clear command from God - Be Still. Just “Be Still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). It’s as though God is saying, “Will you just stop thinking all those thoughts and listen to Me.” 
Not by might nor by power Often too God reminds me of the words the angel said to Zechariah to encourage the Israelites to complete the rebuilding of the temple after their return to Jerusalem from exile. The angel said to Zechariah,
“ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6 NIV)
It was a challenging time for the Israelites, they were returning to a city that had been decimated. One commentary says,
“Although the archaeological data is fragmentary, there is enough to suggest that the exiles returned to a shattered urban landscape where considerable effort was needed to simply survive.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, p1555).
Encouragement to complete the project The rebuilding of the temple project seemed impossible to the Israelites. There was so much to be done and limited resources available. The Israelites needed some encouragement to keep focused and complete the project God had given them to do. So God provided that encouragement through Zechariah. Here is what one commentary says about their struggle:
“The community was struggling to rebuild a sustainable economy, and severe limits on resources made rebuilding the temple an almost unthinkable task. For this reason, both Haggai and Zechariah needed to remind their audiences that God controlled the resources.”  (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, p1555). 
Who controls the resources? An aside (or perhaps a key point!), in the economy we are living in today, it is important to remind ourselves that God still controls the resources. I remember one day last year I was walking and talking to God about my concerns about our finances, a Philippians 4:6-7 prayer. As I prayed a flock of cockatoos flew over, probably about 30 of them, and the Holy Spirit reminded me of Matthew 6:26, 
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NKJV). 
Yes, God is in control and He is trustworthy.
By My Spirit says the Lord Getting back to completing projects and the need for encouragement, let's have a look at  Zechariah 4:6 from the Amplified Bible,
Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 AMPC 
I love how the Amplified Bible gives that fuller picture to help us understand more of what God is saying. Read it again and listen out for which words the Holy Spirit quickens to you, 
Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 AMPC 
A Ceaseless supply These words are quickened to me “ceaseless supply of oil”, followed by "“My Spirit” [of Whom the oil is a symbol]." 
Wh

Christmas was over a month ago. We were a little late putting our tree up this year, 23 December, but we did get there. Perhaps we will leave it up until February as it adds so much colour to the room. When we take the tree down the room looks very bland. 
It’s a bit like the tree in our garden I shared about a couple of weeks ago, stunning hot pink flowers and fresh green leaves in the summer, and then in winter - just plain brown branches.
That thought leads me to a question, what brings colour into your life? What brings joy into your life?
What dulls the colour in your life? Or what about these questions, what dulls the colour in your life? What steals your joy?
Ken and I were recently reflecting on our almost 26 years of marriage, talking about the many times we have faced battles that have come to not only steal our joy but to steal our marriage and our family - the physical health battles; mental health battles; financial battles and relationship battles. 
We know that Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;"
The Thief comes to steal And we know that reading something and thinking that we understand it, is very different from the reality of living it!
Ken and I have no doubts about why we are still “standing” today. We have a hope in someone so much greater than ourselves.
A hope in Jesus Christ and faith to believe His words in the second part of John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus comes to give us life Life. Over the years, especially with the journey with our daughter and cancer, my understanding of that word ‘life’ has changed. Often we are so focused on our life right here, right now. But God tells us in James 4:14 that our life here is fleeting, 
“But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!” James 4:14 TPT
Life on earth is fleeting What we experience here today on earth is only one part of our life - the fleeting part of our life, perhaps even the dull part of our life when one considers eternity. The apostle Paul knew and understood this well. While in prison he wrote to the Philippians, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:13 NIV.
Life here on earth is not the end game! There is more. Heaven. Eternal life.
There is more If you are interested in finding out some more about Heaven, I can highly recommend this book that a friend gave me some years ago, Imagine Heaven - Near-Death Experiences. God’s promises, and the exhilarating future that awaits you, written by John Burke. 
Our access to eternal life is faith in Jesus Christ, as Romans 6:23 tells us, 
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I don’t know what is happening in your life right now, but I do know that there is a God in Heaven who loves you. I know that life here has many challenges and we face many battles.
But I also know this, as a person who has been living with faith in Jesus Christ for 28 years, Jesus is our only hope for living life to the full both here on earth and for eternity. There is no other way. 
“This is the true testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has eternal life; whoever does not have the Son does not possess eternal life.” 1 John 5:11-13 TPT
Jesus brings the colour into my life Jesus brings the colour into my life - now and forever. 
He can do the same for you if you choose to receive Him as your Lord and Saviour. If you want to do this now, please pray this prayer* with me:
Father,
You loved the world so much that You gave Your only begotten Son to die for our sins so that whoever believes in Him will no

What's your 'go-to' when things aren't working out how you thought they would? Does frustration take over?

For me, being a planner and organiser by nature, frustration is definitely my 'go-to' when things aren't working out as I'd planned. 
The broken wrist In early December I broke my wrist while renovating a room in our home. Standing on a kiddie step to sand a cornice, I stepped off awkwardly and fell. I screamed. My daughter came running and helped me get up off the floor. Immediately I started planning how I could continue the sanding. I attempted to pick up something with my left hand - but couldn't. My daughter looked at my left wrist and said, "Mum, you need to go to the hospital." I started crying, all these thoughts going through my head, the waiting at the hospital, the thought of not being able to drive and the implications on all the plans around Christmas. I could feel the frustration building.
Be Still moment Then I took a moment to Be Still and to acknowledge God, as it says in Psalm 46:10. I asked Him what He wanted me to do in this situation, and I had a sense of a 'Slow down Wendy' message (Obviously!). 
Choose to yield At that moment I could have continued with the negative thoughts about all I wouldn't be able to do due to this injury.  But over many years of having many unexpected medical situations in our family, I've learnt enough from God to know that when He speaks it is best to quickly yield, receive and embrace His words. The "just do it" and in this case it was "Slow down Wendy".  
 Yielding quickly
Another key God has taught me to yielding quickly is thankfulness. Look for the things to be thankful for, as it says in Thessalonians 5:18,
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

In the situation with the broken wrist, I was thankful that I could get up and walk - I didn't injure any other part of my body. I was grateful that I was now going to get the rest I needed - I didn't have to ask anyone's permission to stop!
Now, the cast is off, the bone has healed, and I can drive again. There are movement and strengthening exercises to do but life is back to normal. But I am so grateful that for 6 weeks I had a slower-paced life.
Frustration brings limits And I am so grateful for all the years that God has been teaching me how to yield and not let frustration overtake me. James 1:2-4 tells us that these trials we face have a purpose,

"My brethen, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4 NKJV
God matures us through our trials. But I must say, I find it really hard to "count it all joy" when I'm feeling frustrated. The frustration seems to take all my energy, so much so that it limits my ability to think and hear clearly. I can't hear clearly from God or other people who are trying to help me process the frustration. I need a circuit breaker to stop the moments of frustration turning into hours, days, months and years!
The Circuit breaker With each trial I go through in life, complete with its frustration, something interesting happens - my understanding of God's trustworthiness grows. My ability to go to that place of "Okay, this is frustrating and annoying, but I am going to choose to trust that God has a plan and purpose here." has increased over the years and most times I can relatively quickly yield and go to the place of trusting God.  Of course, sometimes there is still that wrestle and it takes a bit longer - I am a work in progress - and thankfully God is patient and kind.
... is trust! So my circuit breaker to being overwhelmed by frustration is - Trust! And not trusting in myself and my abilities, but trusting in God.
Proverbs 3:5-6, I'm sure you know it, says, "Trust in the LORD with a