6 February 2017
A spiritual journey
At the church where I was ministering on Sunday, they sang ‘I surrender all, I surrender all’. With my eyes closed, I reminded myself that the journey of faith cannot be walked without complete surrender to YHVH. I found myself again surrendering everything – that load that is sometimes so heavy for my soul to bear. I know this place of total surrender, where I let go and open my arms wide to receive Yeshua’s love. In this love is peace, and if you are still afraid you are still holding on to your situation – not being completely surrendered.
A week ago Aldo fell very hard. Because of his midbrain injury he struggles with balancing and walking. We took him to the doctor who prescribed oral antibiotics. I was ministering away the weekend and as I got home Sunday evening I saw that his arm was red, swollen. His elbow got infected and I realized that the fluid would need to be drained. We took him to hospital where they put him on an intravenous antibiotic drip. We know that he can never be left alone in hospital, so Tinus slept in the chair by his bed, Chantel was there in the mornings and myself in the afternoons.
The first night already he had an epileptic episode because of the trauma trigger of the hospital.
The battle is sometimes hard and I don’t even always share the things we face. But in all of this I was sitting in front of his bed, looking at him sleeping and thinking, ‘So many battles, Aldo, so many battles that you have to fight and go through.’ And I thought to myself – what other option is there? There is no plan B. We can either trust in YHVH or we can give up. I know that the enemy wants us to become so tired that we will give up. But we can never give up! Yeshua, our King is alive! I remember the day that Yeshua said to me, “Retah, you will not preach what you did not taste”.
Just like you, I have to fight the battles of faith, the battles of health and healing and life.
In the difficult days, I can feel how we are being delivered from all our natural inclinations, our selfish thoughts and ways, as we yield ourselves to the refining fire and work of Holy Spirit within our souls and spirits. The peace of Christ flowed through me as I sat there by Aldo’s bed, hearing His voice.
“Retah, in all of this, I want you to possess the mind of Christ. You will only have this if you enter the place and state of complete surrender.” As we all embark on our spiritual journey and come out of the fire, we will reflect the image of Yeshua and portray His attributes and power.
Yes, it is sometimes overwhelming. Yet I am so aware of the fact that in this place of sanctification is the
prophetic fulfillment of 2 Peter 1:3-4
For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and
godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory
and excellence. By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly
great promises, so that through them you may escape from the moral decay that is in the world
because of lust and greed, and become partakers of the divine nature.
This reality is portrayed in our everyday experiences as we walk with God. As I stared at Aldo, I reminded myself that Yeshua has a purpose and design for each individual and that is to reveal Yeshua in us and through us.
John 6:29 Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger].
The highest purpose of heaven is to bring all the elements of our being and existence into harmony with Him and His will for our lives. In this fire YHVH does not want to destroy us, only the seed of corruption that keeps us from becoming the full expression of His qualities and attributes, are burned so that the uniqueness for which we have been created, His fullness in us can be displayed. I know from experience that when this happens, heaven touches earth.
May this fire make us a true Bethel, Lord! A house of God, a place in which Your presence can dwell!
When we agree with God, we are actually agreeing to love; because God is love. Through compassion for one another and bearing His divine attributes we unleash great resources of Heaven.
As I was sitting in front of Aldo’s bed, typing this letter, he woke up and says,
“Mom please come here”.
“I am here.”
“No, come closer, please.”
I bowed over him and with his one eye that can move he gave me a butterfly kiss (his eye lashes rubbing against my cheek). I smiled and gave one back. He just looked me in the eye and said, “Thank you mom”.
I wiped away the tears and answered, “Thank You Abba”.
I bless you my dear friend on this journey of faith.
Retah and family