Nicole is a prophetic worshipper with a heart that cries out for others to know God and His ways. This message she recently spoke to The Covenant Center family, is full of wisdom and guidance to help us navigate the times we live in and the coming days. I know this word will bring encouragement and hope to you as you forge ahead in your circumstance, persevering in His strength, knowing that victory lies ahead in His name and His covenant. May His grace and peace abound to you always. In His Love, Becky
Looking for God Within and Building Supernatural Strength in the Times We Live In
Summer is usually a time for relaxing and hanging out in the pool. However with some amazement and shock I am looking at the calendar seeing summer is almost over with and we were booked with family, business stuff and caretaking both our only living parents. I realized how my reserves have been running low and almost empty on a daily basis. Let me remind all of us what the enemy of our soul is currently doing “He will defy the Most High God and wear down the saints..” (Daniel 7:25 TLB)
I spoke recently at The Covenant Center from a book by John Eldredge called “Resilient” (click on this link to check it out https://amzn.to/3RLu9lX) and I will be referring to it in this blog. I believe this book is a must read in the times we are living in.
I have finally come to accept that nothing really is returning to “normal” I realize that I must intentionally adjust my life so that my reserves do not run empty. We must have perseverance or what I like to call “grit” for the season we are in now. We are told we will need it in His word: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay, but my righteous one will live by faith, and I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved, (Heb. 10:36-39 NIV).
So where do I find this inner strength or resilience? The answer is in the question. Strength is given to us by God. I am not talking about gritting our teeth and running the extra mile or doubling down when times get hard. I am speaking of Supernatural strength, like our favorite marvel heroes or DC Comics. There is one thing we have that superman and wonder woman do not have - the prayer found in Ephesians 3:14-15. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” Through his what? Power. Where does he strengthen me? In my inner being.
We are reminded in Psalms 73:26 that even though “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Our God dwells within our very being. Everyone has a well that can be tapped into just as in says in John: “out of your belly will flow streams of living water.” Proverbs 20:27 also instructs that “The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.” God is the strength of your heart and you can tap into this strength whenever you need it. However, this world is designed to distract us, fragment us and pull us away from our hearts and from God.
In John’s book “Resilient” he writes about how in times of war, we must dig deep, for we need to navigate these days victoriously. We must do that by turning our attention to Jesus within us in the depth of our very own being. He later describes the three levels of our inner being. The first level is called the Shallows. This is where all of our day to day distractions and fleeting thoughts enter our mind at warp speed most days. Many of us live here.
The second level is called the Midlands. This is what keeps us up at night. For me it is my mom and son’s health, our business and all the worries and cares of my life. The third he calls the Depths. This is where the eternal things dwell like love, hope and faith. This is where I really connect with God.
So how do you start to find God within? Easy, just start by giving him your attention - your undistracted focus on God with all of your heart. The battle is always for our attention and our peace. You will love the fruit of this. If John’s book “Resilient” is too much at this moment, I also recommend his Pause app and going through his 30 Days of Resilience": https://www.pauseapp.com/).
I hope you join the journey of going deep in these turbulent times. The deeper we go with God the stronger we will become.
Nicole Welch is a consultant, author, business owner, public speaker, mental health therapist, a missionary, wife, mom, and a very blunt truth teller. She always gives you practical, powerful tools and steps to overcome relational and communication challenges. She lives in Lakeland Fl with her husband of 25 years and two beautiful children.
Nic Welch
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*“Resilient: Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times
John Eldredge 2022