Rise & Choose

RISE AND CHOOSE

I recently was blessed to attend a one-day women’s conference, SOUL CARE-RISE, which ministered to my heart in ways I didn’t realize I needed.  Dry-Bones and Ezekial 37: 1-14, were where we started and as the day progressed I came to realize that the challenges of the past year in several areas of my life had depleted me more than I cared to admit as I walked through a wilderness experience that resulted in “dry bones” that needed to be revived; to have new life breathed into them.

Through recent Bible study teachings, I am trying to learn to embrace the wilderness experiences God allows in my life and view them through “Middle Eastern Lens” rather than our “Western Lens” which sees them as “something we want to get out of, and quickly”.  The Jewish people view the desert (wilderness experience) as the place where the Lord often meets His people and speaks to them. The Hebrew word for wilderness is Midbar. In Middle Eastern culture, the wilderness is seen almost as a sacred place, a place of intimacy where God speaks a “word” (Hebrew word davar) to you. Instead of asking “how do I get out of this difficult wilderness season”, they ask, “How do I carry this wilderness with me”, how do I remember the word the Lord taught me in the wilderness”?” What is my “Midbar davar”?

RISE was the key word and theme of this conference.  God had spoken many words to me during this wilderness period as I struggled; 2 steps forward, 3 steps backwards, and each one ministered to my heart, but as I listened that day, this word really stood out to me. God has given me everything I need; a plethora of promises in His Word and the reality that HE IS the “Keeper of those Promises”, which brings me comfort, but does me no good, if I allow myself to “sit like a heap of ashes and dry bones”!  That day I heard Him say, “Debbie, RISE, get up and take hold of Me and My promises; let Me bring those dry bones to life again, carry this wilderness experience with you, BUT now it’s time to get moving again.”

God’s Word is filled with promise, after promise.  Promises we can hold on to, promises we can stand on, promises we KNOW won’t be broken, BUT we must CHOOSE to believe those promises, EVEN WHEN it seems like everything is upside down and turned inside out.  Jesus IS the same yesterday, today and forever.  HE NEVER changes; HIS Word NEVER changes.  Life isn’t easy. In fact, it’s sometimes downright ugly and messy.  The enemy loves to have us get caught up in that reality and forget all the promises given to us and/or to reach out and hold on to Jesus, the Keeper of the Promises to help us RISE.

Listening to the speakers that day, each one of them “knew” what they should do to, BUT “doing it” isn’t always that easy because it requires us to “take action”; it requires us to CHOOSE to “get up”, CHOOSE to RISE and “CHOOSING” requires something from us.
Choosing requires sacrifice, it requires courage, it requires faith, it requires obedience…it requires me to say “YES” to Jesus above ALL else!

I have learned a lot during this wilderness experience that I WILL carry with me.  My “dry bones” have had new life breathed into them and I am excited as I “RISE” to see what God has planned for me and how He will use me as I hold on to the Keeper of the Promises and stand on HIS promises. 

Do you have “dry bones” that need to have new life breathed into them?  I pray that what I have shared with you about my experience will minister to your heart and help you RISE so you can experience ALL that the Lord has for you too. 

-Debbie Dorman, Kingman