2231 Even Now

Some bad things happen for good purposes. Some of the hardest of things become the sweetest of things when God’s full purposes are revealed. Is everything that ever happens to you from God? No – remember we have an arch enemy in this world who’s sole purpose is to separate us from the love of the Father in absolutely any way possible. Satan will never take God’s love from you because we’re promised nothing can ever make God stop loving you – however we can allow the things that happen in life to dampen our love for God. We can become so busy, so distracted, so disillusioned that we stop loving God, but he never stops loving us. These hard things in life sometimes come as an attack from the pits of Hell, however God has a unique way of taking the very things intended to harm us and turn them around to be used as a tool for his goodness. Could it be possible that even this very thing that you’re going through right now was intended for harm by Satan, carried out through his demons on attack – but God is turning it all around for eternally good purposes? Could this darkness help you truly see the light? Speaking from experience, when life knocks you down, it’s easier to find your knees. When nothing else is helping, you begin crying out to the One who can truly help. This is where Mary and Martha were. They were desperate, crying out for the help of Jesus. Their brother Lazarus was sick, like really sick. Now, get this – Jesus received the message of Lazarus’ sickness, and while Jesus cared deeply about Lazarus and personally loved this family, he delayed going. He waited. And as Jesus waited to go, Lazarus got worse. Why would God just allow things to get worse? He holds the divine power to change everything in an instant, to make everything better, to stop every attack of Satan, and yet sometimes he waits. Maybe your calls for help feel like they keep getting a busy signal. You’re sending SOS texts and seemingly left on read. He heard you, but he didn’t reply. He could come, but he’s not. Why would God do that? We’re actually not left to wonder. Jesus himself tells us exactly what’s happening. John 11: 4-5, “‘Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.’ So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next 2 days.” The love of Jesus actually kept him from going to them immediately when they asked for his help. His love allowed things to actually get worse. Jesus waits for 2 days, then he begins his journey to them. And during this time, Lazarus dies. His family has had the funeral. They have gone through the ceremonies, they’ve put his body in a grave, they’ve mourned and wondered why Jesus didn’t come. Mary and Martha knew of Jesus’ miracle working power. They knew he was truly the son of God. They knew Lazarus’ sickness could be healed with one touch, one word from Jesus. But he didn’t come. And let’s be clear. Jesus KNEW Lazarus had died. He was not surprised. He wasn’t expecting his body to hold on a little while longer. Jesus says to his disciples in verses 11-12, “‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.’ The disciples said, ‘Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!'” Now look look at this clarifying side note in verse 13, “They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus HAD DIED.” Jesus knew this sickness was serious. He knew it would kill Lazarus. He knew his body would survive. He knew every detail of what was happening – all while he held all the power to stop it or change it. By not stopping it, Jesus knew a greater miracle would be revealed. The greater miracle is NOW THEY WOULD REALLY BELIEVE. He was going to show them something miraculous they couldn’t deny. Jesus shows up on the scene, 4 days after the funeral and burial of Lazarus. Martha comes to meet with Jesus in her grief and says, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” She knew Jesus could have stopped this. She knew Jesus held the power to heal her brother’s sickness. But now the real statement of faith comes next in verse 22, Martha says to Jesus, “But EVEN NOW I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” EVEN NOW. What a statement of faith. Even now, when it’s far too late. Even now, when the worst has already happened. Even now, when we are absolutely shattered with this loss. Even now, when all other hope has been gone for days. Even now, I KNOW YOU CAN. Jesus, I know anything you ask for can be made possible. Jesus, I know, even now, you hold the power. Martha is affirming her absolute faith in the power of Jesus to ask God for even the most impossible thing, and she knows it will happen. Jesus, even now, we know you can. We may not understand why you haven’t already. We may not see the fullness of your good plan in the middle of our mess. We may not even agree with your timeline. BUT WE KNOW EVEN NOW, YOU STILL CAN. Jesus, will you ask the Father for us? Will you speak to God for us? Will you move Heaven for us? Will you do the impossible for us? Can he? Yes. There’s nothing he can’t do. There’s no place too far for his reach and no timeline beyond his power. What we must release is the details of how he will work. What we see as good is only a tiny piece of the bigger picture. Jesus sees good that reaches into eternity. He knows what is good for the soul, not just for the body. He knows what impacts future generations, not just this one. He knows what will bring God the greatest glory, not just what makes you happy today. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way we think it should – and ultimately we have to be okay with that. We have to surrender to a great big God who sees the unseen and has written out every day of our lives for his good purposes before our very first breath. We have to remember the moment in time will come when we step into eternity and suddenly it all makes sense. Secrets are revealed and then we get it. Ahhhhh, God, you really were working all things together for good! You did so much more than I could have ever imagined. But for now, God knows we just don’t have the capacity to understand it all. For now, we get all wrapped up in earthly affairs and temporary things, struggling with trying to control what was never ours to control. And he’s so patient with us. So gracious. So loving. And sometimes, Jesus shows up, and he does the impossible for us here and now. He makes a way where there has been no way. He restores what was wayyyyyy too far gone. He breathes life into what was dead. He makes things new. Jesus says to Martha in verse 23, “Your brother will rise again.” And of course Martha is like, yeah, I know one day he will rise again – but she is hurting so badly right now. Then Jesus says something so personal to Martha – he says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” Jesus is saying, Martha, do you believe there’s something greater than this life? Do you believe even while this is so hard right now, I have something so good beyond this? Martha, do you know there’s life with me beyond this temporary life? Martha gets it. She believes. Jesus asks to be taken to Lazarus’s tomb. Jesus weeps. He hurts with them. He is emotionally moved. Even with all his power – even with the perfect plan of eternity fully in his sight, he cries with his friends in that moment. Y’all THAT’S OUR SAVIOR. That’s my Jesus. What a God we have! Then Jesus goes to the tomb, demands the stone to be rolled away, and says, “Lazarus, come out!” Verse 44, “And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, ‘Unwrap him and let him go.” Now, don’t miss this – the real ending of the story comes in the next verse, “Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.” Souls were saved there that day. God received great glory. And we get to see our Jesus a little more personally. Today, we remember, EVEN NOW, with things in the state they’re in – Even now, Jesus can still ask God for anything and IT WILL BE DONE! Whether we see it here on earth, or we see it in Heaven, we will see God’s plan was always FOR US and ETERNALLY PERFECT! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

When we think of the miracles of Jesus, we think of the blind given sight, the paralyzed standing to walk – yes, the instant, miraculous healings. But today, let’s look at a miracle of Jesus we don’t think about. How about what a total miracle it is that our glorious God, the creator of the entire Universe, the one who knows everything, sees everything and controls everything, the one who holds the entire world literally in the palm of his hand – yes THAT God, became human. He himself, being fully God, also became fully human. He didn’t just watch us from a throne in Heaven, he desired to walk with us as one of us. What a miracle Jesus himself truly is. With all this power, all this authority, all this sovereignty, he allowed himself to become an infant. A baby born just like all other babies. A toddler who learned to talk and walk just like all other toddlers. Jesus was a teenager. Then he became a carpenter. People literally hired Jesus to build their new house for them. Gosh, that must have been a well-built house! The one who handcrafted my favorite places in the world like the Dolomite mountains in Italy, the jungles of Bali, the clear turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, the towering redwood trees in the forest and the most glorious hand-painted sunsets on the coast … the one who created became human and lived in his own creation. Not because he had to. Not because there was a God above him that wrote the plan. But because God Almighty chose to. There’s nothing and no one that compares to our God. His power and his passion. His will and his willingness. He’s heavenly and he’s humble. He’s sovereign and he’s surrendered. Our Jesus was fully God and became fully human. As human as you and I are. You know that song, “Mary, did you know?” Really my question is, “Jesus, did you know?” Did you always know you were God? Did you know everything even as a young child? Did you understand how all of these secret things work and just pretend to be learning like the rest of us? We’re given clues in scripture that he learned just like we learn. He was taught how to speak one word at a time. There was a moment when he took his very first steps, followed by a fall. He learned carpentry from his Dad, Joseph. He learned scripture as a young Jewish boy. All while he was God, he allowed himself to be fully human. How bizarre is that? I wonder at what point Jesus came to understand who he really was? Was there a moment sitting on the floor of the synagogue with all his classmates, memorizing the Torah, that he had an ah-ha moment of wait – this book is talking about me. I’M THE ONE WHO CREATED THE EARTH. IT WAS ME WHO SPOKE THIS INTO EXISTENCE. I WAS THERE. What an absolute miracle that Jesus allowed himself to be fully human. A human who hurt and cried. A human who needed rest. A human who had to go away so he could spend time talking to God, just like us. A human who could be unjustly killed. All while he still had the divine power to NOT be human, yet he chose to be. That’s the power of a purpose filled mission. Here, as a human, God revealed to him the purpose of his 32 years of life on this earth, and he would not be detoured from it. He would wait until the time was right to begin revealing who he was, to put his power into public miraculous displays, yet remain fully surrendered to an unfolding plan to murder him. I can’t even wrap my mind around that. You see in my earthly way of thinking, it just doesn’t make sense. Couldn’t God have changed us and saved us in some other way? Couldn’t he have made this easier? Couldn’t he force his goodness? Couldn’t he enforce his will upon us? All this time he could have stripped us of our will to choose our own way, he could have taken away our human desires, he could have stripped us of our flesh … but instead with the greatest act of love ever known, he instead became flesh and sacrificed himself to save us. Now that’s a miracle. There was a moment during Jesus’ lifetime here on Earth when he revealed himself as fully God. A moment when the veil was lifted and he wasn’t human. A moment when his flesh was overtaken by his true divine nature. It’s the miracle of the transfiguration. Do you know about this? In Matthew 17, Jesus takes 3 of this disciples (Peter, James and John) up to a high mountaintop to be alone with them. These 3 men were his inner circle, his closest friends. And there on the mountaintop, it says, “As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.” The miracle wasn’t that Jesus suddenly looked like a God. The miracle was always that our God allowed himself to be human. This was like hitting pause on the miracle and letting Jesus’ true identity be revealed for a moment to his 3 closest friends. It was a behind the scenes peak of who they were really with. The miracle wasn’t so much that Jesus’ face was shining like the sun and his clothes were glowing – the miracle was that every other moment of Jesus life he looked human. The miracle was that while he was human he was actually still fully God and most everyone had no idea! This makes me wonder … where is God in our real lives today, showing up in seemingly ordinary ways? Where is his glory hidden to appear human? Where is his power unfolding, but in the most mysterious way ever that makes the miraculous look so incredibly natural. God is here today, he just doesn’t look the way you imagined. He’s working all around you, and maybe you’ve dismissed it as normal or even as luck. Girl, you would be absolutely stunned if God truly revealed himself for even a moment. If the moment of transfiguration were to happen again and the veil between heaven and earth were dropped and you saw God’s presence in what seems ordinary, just like this moment on the mountaintop with Peter, James and John – woah! Imagine seeing God’s face in the sun. Imagine seeing his massive hands reaching down from the sky. Imagine locking eyes with him in the stranger you walk by. It’s really a miracle that we don’t see him. It’s a miracle he’s made his power seem so ordinary. It’s a miracle he allows us to be so human, get it so wrong, yet never leave us. It’s a miracle that he hasn’t struck us all with lightening and started over again with the human race. It’s a miracle that every breath we take is LITERALLY the breath of God filling our lungs, giving us life, allowing our very existence, and we act as if that’s just normal. God is just in disguise all around us, doing what only he can do, and loving us so perfectly, just as he did through Jesus. I’m now beginning to realize everything that looks so ordinary is likely totally extraordinary! That’s just the way God does it. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Where are you lacking the ability to believe Jesus? You believe Jesus is who he says he is – you believe Jesus can do everything he says he can do – but maybe you struggle to believe he will actually do it for you. Your circumstances tell you something different. The patterns you live in tell you nothing really ever changes for you. You intimately know your struggles. You are personally acquainted with your shortcomings. You’ve been living with your problems. And the truth is, the miraculous powers of Jesus always seem to be for someone else – not you. Why is that? If Jesus can heal – why hasn’t he healed you? If Jesus can make all things new – why are you still stuck in this old mess? If Jesus holds all this power – why haven’t you seen it working for your family? We’re ashamed of these questions and feelings, aren’t we? We’ve been told these kinds of doubts indicate our lack of faith. And scripture is actually quite clear, “It is impossible to please God without faith.” So here we are, walking around with a reasonable amount of doubt, feeling like failures. Gosh, God must be really disappointed in you right now, huh? Actually, no. Your struggle to believe and your wrestling with seeing God’s miraculous works in your life aren’t a failure of faith. This is the PROCESS OF FAITH! You don’t have to run from this – lean into this. If you currently find yourself in this place of believing in Jesus and his miracle working power, but questioning if his miracles will ever show up personally for you, you’re in the middle of the faith process. This is a beautiful place to be. Faith invites Jesus’ healing. It was the faith of the leper that Jesus declares brought his healing. Jesus said it was the faith of the mother that brought healing to her daughter. It was the faith of the friends that brought healing to the paralyzed man. Jesus said it was the bleeding woman’s faith that delivered her healing. Did they still have a reasonable amount of questioning? before their miracle Probably. Did they wrestle with dismissing themselves thinking they weren’t worthy of approaching Jesus for healing? You bet. Were they running through a hundred scenarios in their mind of ‘what if this doesn’t work’ as they reached for Jesus? Of course. How do I know? Because every single one of these recipients of a miracle were human. They believed, but at the same time they doubted. Why? Because their faith was in process. Faith causes you to reach for the hem of Jesus’ robe. Faith causes you to cry out for help. That is pleasing to God. Doubt is not the opposite of faith. Doubt is wrestling with all that you believe and not understanding some things. My friend, maybe that’s what you need to hear today – it’s okay that you don’t understand this. It’s okay that you’re still wrestling with some questions. It’s okay that at times you still struggle to believe Jesus would ever personally get involved in your struggles. It’s okay to wrestle it out with those thoughts of things never changing for you. This is your process of faith. Sometimes we fail to see just how patient God is with us. He doesn’t expect you to be some superhuman who never struggles. Girl, he knew you wouldn’t be perfect – that’s why you need Jesus. His personal involvement in the details of your life and his miraculous power working in you are not dependent on superhuman faith – even a little mustard seed of faith will do. A faith that is still growing. A faith that is still struggling. A faith that knows he can, but sometimes questions if he will. Your little tiny seed of faith calls Jesus to show up for you! Let him have those doubts and questions – you don’t have to hide those from him (as if you could anyway.) He wants to show up for you in the middle of your struggle to believe. Have you ever read the story of the desperate father who struggled to believe Jesus? A man who confessed his doubts. A man who just didn’t know if Jesus would in fact heal his son the way he had heard about him healing others. Let’s read it together today and see what Jesus has for us! Mark 9: 17-29: One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 19Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 25When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. 28Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” Who were the faithless people? The people in the crowd who were arguing over the disciples failure to heal this boy. The faithless was NOT the father. The father believed, but he honestly struggled with some natural unbelief. How did Jesus respond to this natural measure of unbelief? HE HEALED HIS SON! Did Jesus wait until this father overcame all his doubts and questions? Did Jesus’ miracle depend on him understanding and fully expecting his son to be healed? No. It wasn’t about the father’s questions. It wasn’t about the father’s lack of understanding. It wasn’t about the father’s ability to perform or be perfect. It was about his need being brought to Jesus in an imperfect way during his process of faith. And Jesus responded to his little bit of faith, his believing that sometimes struggled with unbelief, his human nature to question that which he couldn’t understand – AND HIS SON WAS HEALED. What I see here is someone like you and I. Someone with a reasonable amount of doubt at times. Someone with an imperfect faith that believes, but still has unbelief. Someone NOT disqualified from the miracles of Jesus. Because even a little faith moves mountains. A little faith reaches for Jesus with one hand while still having a whole lot of questions in the other hand. A little faith says, “Jesus, help me if you can” – all while nothing is impossible for God. A little faith believes, but needs help overcoming your unbelief. And Jesus responds to that little faith. This man was not denying Jesus. He believed in Jesus. He believed in Jesus’ power to heal. But he simply didn’t know if Jesus would truly heal his son. His son who had been tormented by sickness because of an evil spirit. His son who had suffered since he was a little boy. Would Jesus move for him with his imperfect faith? His statement of “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief” is the beginning of faith. The beginning of faith is recognizing where you’ve lacked faith. The beginning of faith is holding belief in one hand and questions in the other. The beginning of faith is tiny, and it is powerful! You’re in the process of building faith. That’s what your questions mean. That’s what your unbelief at times shows. You’re growing in faith – and that is radically pleasing to God. Jesus can and will respond to your little seed of budding faith. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Studying the miracles of Jesus, sometimes we see a sickness or condition was the result of a demon’s torment. Not every problem was because of a demon, but some no doubt were. And the same is true today. Some sickness, some conditions and some circumstances are precisely because a demon has zeroed in to attack and bring torment. Does it mean that person is evil? No. It means they are tormented. There’s only one answer – the power of Jesus needs to force that demon to leave. But how do you know when the problem you’re encountering is a natural human condition and when it’s a spiritual attack? How can you be sure of when you seek God’s hand of healing and when you declare darkness must leave? May I be totally vulnerable and honest with you – I don’t yet know. I only know to stay close to Jesus and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. I see that with every encounter of Jesus in scripture, he knew precisely the cause of each person’s problem. He recognized that which needed his touch and that which required his word evicting of authority. As we watch Jesus do what he did, we better understand the call to now do what he did. We seek the same discernment of the Father. The knowing of what is a physical battle and what is a spiritual battle, and how to stand in God’s power for both. What we see is regardless of the problem, the sickness or the condition, the answer was always Jesus. Jesus could heal any disease, he could raise the dead and restore life again, and he could free a person from a lifetime of torment from a demon. And now remember, Jesus says to us his followers in John 14:12, “Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.” How? Through the power of the Holy Spirit that now lives in you. Yes, we are supposed to be laying our hands on the sick in the name of Jesus. Yes, we are supposed to be casting out demons in the name of Jesus. We are not supposed to be running in fear of either or backing down from the spiritual battle around us. We are equipped and we are called. Let’s be doing the things Jesus did! In Mark 7: 31-35, a deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to Jesus to heal. Jesus took him away from the crowd and put his fingers into his ears. Then he spit on his own fingers and he touched the man’s tongue. “Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, ‘Ephphatha,’ which means, ‘Be opened!’ Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!” What a miracle! Jesus healed this man of his problems. But we also read of another man who had nearly the same exact condition, but scripture says it wasn’t a sickness, it was the torment of a demon targeted on this man. Matthew 9: 32-33, “A demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak.” Is every sickness a demon – No. Are some – Yes. It’s real, my friends. And we don’t need to be afraid, but we need to be aware. Satan has done a great job of creating an image of what he looks like and what his attacks would be like. We think all demonic work must be sheer terror and evil, when in fact the greatest attacks sneak right in and look so ordinary we don’t even notice. Demons often do their greatest and most destructive work completely undetected. We medicate it, we excuse it, we accept it, we ignore it – all while Jesus wants to cast it out. A person plagued by a demon isn’t a scary person hiding in a dark alley. They’re the pretty people you see on social media. They’re the people you work with. They’re even the people you work with. Sis, it might even be the person looking back at you in the mirror. Look at Mary Magdalene – the woman who followed Jesus so closely. The beautiful soul who was right there with Jesus when he was crucified on the cross, buried in the tomb, and even among the first to see the resurrected Jesus. She supported his ministry and devoted her life to him. I think she was likely a beautiful, gentle, devoted and humble woman. And she was the woman who had 7 demons once tormenting her. SEVEN! Let’s really understand spiritual attack and torment. It’s not always scary little beasts hiding in the corners. Demons were angels. They were with God in heaven, created to worship and aid in the good purposes of God here on earth. Satan was one of those angels. But when Satan became filled with pride and wanted to become greater than God, he was cast out of heaven and he took 1/3 of the angels with him. Those angels that went with him, twisted in pride and hungry for power, those are the demons of today. You believe in angels, right? You believe they can be with you to guide you and protect you. Well demons are much the same, but with ill intent. They can’t be everywhere, they are not omnipresent, but they can be on assignment. An assignment from Hell to torment. And where they are sent, they bring their destruction. That destruction can show up as sickness, disease, crippling, addiction, mental illness. Specifically in scripture we see demons responsible for blindness, deafness, the inability to speak, seizures and convulsions, physical disabilities, isolation, and self-injury. Again, let’s be clear – these things are not always the result of a demon – but sometimes they are and Jesus always knew the difference. Can we begin asking for wisdom to know the difference? James 1:5, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” Father, we need wisdom. We don’t want to play little in the battle. We no longer want to ignore the reality of what is happening all around us, even to the people we know and love. Help us to know when a spiritual attack is happening. Give us wisdom to know when we’re dealing with the torment of a demon. Then give us the courage to call on your name and stand in your authority to insist that demon must flee. I don’t see Jesus being afraid of this topic – in fact, I read that everywhere he went he shared the Good News, he healed the sick and the demon possessed. He lifted the oppression, the freed them from torment, and he command the demons to leave every person he encountered. And remember, Jesus said, “Now you, my followers, will do the same things I have done.” Let’s get to doing it. Let’s not be afraid to talk about these things. Let’s remember the power of the Holy Spirit in us and be moved by the things that moved Jesus. Don’t walk on by – you carry their answer. You carry their healing. You carry the end of their torment. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

God has faith-filled spaces waiting for you that you could never reach alone. There are divinely appointed places for you, but you cannot walk there on your own. Only God can call you there. Only God can enable that walk. If you’re trying to get there on your own, you will fail miserably. If you’re trying to force it, it will never happen. If you’re awaiting God’s command and ready to move forward in obedient, faith-filled action, then get ready to walk in the impossible with God! Your entire life could pass and you may never have the courage to step into what God’s power could enable you to do. You could live, and actually live well, but not live to the full if you’re lacking the boldness to invite God’s command for your next step of wild faith. Have you ever prayed, “God, command my next step of wild faith?” Hmmmm, that’s not really a prayer we pray, is it? But what if we did? What if instead of trying to take these wild steps on our own, we invite God’s command for it. Not everyone will get this – in fact, probably only 1 in 12 will. I hope you’re the one!!!!! If Jesus commands you to a step of faith, you can know without a doubt his power will enable you to take that step. Can you do it on your own? No. Can you do it under his command? Yes. Okay, so Jesus, command me to take the next step today. Call me out. Give me your directive. Strengthen me. Here’s all the courage I have to take a wild faith-filled step of obedience and see what happens! Where will he lead you? What will he ask you to do? How will it go? Those details are not included for this adventure. There was 1 disciple out of 12 who did something impossible with Jesus. It was Peter. Do you remember what he did? He walked on water with Jesus. The other 11 sat in the boat. The others watched – perhaps in amazement, perhaps is disbelief, perhaps in regret. But Peter was part of a miracle because of one thing. What was the one thing that set Peter apart to be able to walk on water? Was it his courage? Oh there was no doubt courage there. But this morning while reading this familiar story in the book of Matthew, I noticed something I’ve never noticed before. Something bigger than his courage. Something more powerful than his first step out of the boat. Something you and I desperately need today. As we read the story, notice this isn’t about Peter attempting a miracle on his own. This isn’t about being the boldest, the most daring, the most adventurous. Let’s dig deeper and see what allows Peter to be part of Jesus’ miracle here. This story unfolds immediately after Jesus has fed the crowd of 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. That night, Jesus insists that his disciples get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake without him. He went up into the hills by himself to pray alone. Then at about 3:00 in the morning, at the absolute darkest part of the night, a storm comes upon the water. If you read the other gospel accounts of this miracle which all include different details to help you get the full story, you find that Jesus SEES the disciples are in trouble all the way out in the middle of the lake. He sees them straining at the oars against the wind. Now remember, it’s the darkest part of the night. They’re now in the middle of a lake that is 8 miles wide, the waves were big, the sky was stormy, and there were no spotlights – YET JESUS CAN SEE THEM. He’s not with them physically, but he can see them in their struggle. Oh what a reminder that is for us today. Jesus sees you struggling. He knows the waves you’ve been fighting against. He knows the storm you’re in the middle of. He knows the fear running through you. His eye is still on you, my sister. AND HE’S HEADING TOWARD YOU IN YOUR STRUGGLE. Matthew 14: 25-33: “Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. (That’s a miracle – add it to your list! Our savior walks on the water. He does the impossible to get to us!) When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, ‘It’s a ghost!’ But Jesus spoke to them at once, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘Take courage. I am here!’ Then Peter called to hi, ‘Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.’ “Yes, come,’ Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said. ‘Why did you doubt me?’ When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. ‘You really are the Son of God!’ they exclaimed.” Did you see it? Peter didn’t dare attempt walking on the water on his own. He was bold and he was courageous, but he knew he didn’t hold the power to walk on top of these waves. The thing that set Peter apart from the other disciples in the boat was he invited Jesus to command him to do the impossible. He asked Jesus for the word to invite him forward. No one else was invited out onto the water – only Peter. Why is that? Because Peter asked Jesus to command him. Peter asked Jesus to call him out. Jesus, lead me. Call me out into the impossible. Tell me to come to you through the storm. Tell me to take an impossible step into wild, faith-filled spaces I could never reach alone. Your command comes with the power to step into the miraculous, but I cannot and will not do it without your command. This is what sets Peter apart. A faith that invites Jesus’ command into the crashing waves. A faith that genuinely wants Jesus’ command to take the next step in the struggle, to leave the safety of the boat and go into the unknown. That’s a scary faith. A faith that says, “Jesus, command me to step into this. Command me to walk on this. Command me to come into the impossible with you. Call me out.” Only 1 of the 12 disciples had that kind of scary faith, and only 1 can ever say they personally experienced this miracle with Jesus. But here’s where I want to bring this right into your life, my sister. The invitation is not to be Peter. The invitation is to ask Jesus what He’s calling YOU to do. Maybe He’s calling you to have a hard conversation, to finally obey something He’s been stirring in your heart, to start the thing you’ve been putting off, to serve in a way that stretches you, or to take a step that makes absolutely no sense unless God is in it. Don’t manufacture a miracle. Don’t jump out of the boat just to prove you’re brave. And don’t confuse your own ambition with God’s direction. Instead, get close enough to Jesus to hear His leading. Ask Him for your next step. Open His Word. Pray. Listen. Be willing to obey, even when the details aren’t all laid out and you can’t see how it’s going to work. Jesus, tell me to come to you!!!!!!! Then, when He calls you to come, don’t be shocked by the waves. Notice, the storm didn’t calm when Peter stepped out on the water toward Jesus. The storm continued. The waves were massive and Peter was standing on top of those waves with Jesus. Don’t let the size of the waves convince you that the One who called you won’t sustain you. You might feel afraid. You might take that step with your knees knocking and your voice shaking. You might even stumble along the way. Peter did! But you can keep your eyes on Jesus, and when you need help, you can cry out to the One who reaches for you. My sister, there is a difference between living a safe life and living a surrendered life. One keeps asking, “What can I handle? What do I know how to do? What would be easiest?” The other asks, “Jesus, what are You calling me to do?” So let’s stop settling for what we can accomplish in our own strength. Let’s stop assuming the boat is the only place we’ll ever be safe. And let’s stop watching other people live out their faith while we sit on the sidelines, wondering what it might be like to experience more of God. Today, dare to pray a different prayer: “Jesus, I don’t want to spend my life doing only what I can do without You. I want to experience what You can do through me. Command my next step of wild faith. Show me where You’re leading, give me the courage to obey, and supply the strength I don’t have on my own. I don’t want to run ahead of You, and I don’t want to lag behind You. I want to hear Your voice and respond with a wholehearted YES. Here I am, Jesus. Call me out of the boat. I’m ready to come!” And then, my sister, pay attention. Your next step may not look dramatic to anyone else. It may be a quiet act of obedience that changes the direction of your entire life. You don’t have to know where the water will lead you. You just have to know who’s calling you to come. Let’s be the girls who don’t just believe Jesus can do the impossible. Let’s be the girls who are willing to ask Him, “Jesus, what impossible thing are You inviting ME to do with You today?” Because one day, I don’t want us looking back at a lifetime of watching from the boat. I want us to look back and see the places where we trusted Him enough to step out, the things we never could have accomplished on our own, and the moments when we discovered just how faithful He really is. The question isn’t whether you can walk on water. The question is whether you’re willing to ask Jesus where He’s calling you to come. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

All your life God has been continually showing you his goodness. He’s been working behind the scenes in the details, divinely aligning every moving part to bring you in alignment with his good plans. He’s always provided, always made a way. Again and again, his faithfulness has surrounded you. So today, God says, “My girl, why do you worry? Why are you anxious? How is it that you still don’t get it? I’m here and I’m working. Give this to me!” Maybe we struggle because we can’t see God. We question if we really hear his voice. We doubt if it was his power at work before, or was that just luck. We believe but we still have unbelief. And it’s easy to think it would be so much easier if we could really see. If we could for sure hear his voice. If we knew without a doubt that was God’s power that made that happen before – then surely we wouldn’t have to worry about today. Do we struggle because we can’t see God? Because we don’t know his voice? Because his power has been uncertain in our lives? Well let me tell you, the disciples literally LIVED with Jesus – they woke up in the same tent as Jesus, they ate every meal with Jesus, where he went they went, and what he did they saw with their own eyes. They experienced his miracles. They saw the impossible happen. Yet when they encountered the next hardship or struggle, they were exactly like us – they worried, they got anxious and they doubted. So you know what God does – he shows up and does it again for them. He shows them his power again. He provides again in miraculous ways. He reminds them, “My child, you’ve seen me do this before and you can trust me to do it again.” What has God shown you before that you need to trust him for again? Hear him as he whispers to your soul, “Again, my child – I’ll do it again.” He will heal you again. He will strengthen you again. He will guide you again. He will make a way for you again. He got you through some hard things in the past, and my friend, he will get you through today’s hard thing too. He will do it again! Earlier in our study of the miracles of Jesus we read about Jesus feeding the crowd of 5,000 (episode 2216). That was when a crowd of 5000 men, plus women and children, had gathered in a remote place to hear Jesus teach and at the end of the day the disciples pointed out to Jesus that the crowd would be getting hungry and there was no food for them in this remote place, so Jesus should tell them all to go home so they can eat. And Jesus says to his disciples, “You feed them.” Remember how the miracle goes? The disciples freak out – they don’t have enough food for all these people. This was impossible. But a boy offers his lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish (which remember, were more like crackers and sardines). Jesus takes what little there was, and tells the disciples to start passing it out. Every single person in the crowd ate until they were full. Afterward, Jesus had them pick up the leftovers and they gathered 12 baskets full. Yes, 1 basket of leftovers for each disciple. MIRACULOUS. Wouldn’t you walk away knowing YOUR JESUS after that. If you personally saw him working. You saw the bread and the fish multiply. You saw the hungry crowd all eat. Then you personally picked up all those leftovers. If you had been there for that personal encounter with the power of Jesus, you would be forever changed. No worry. No stress. Just stay close to Jesus. Right? But guess what happened about 6 months later. THE SAME THING! Literally the words “another” and “again” are used. Different day. Different crowd. Same need. Same Jesus. Many confuse this account for the same miracle as the feeding of the 5,000 – but it’s separate. This is where we see Jesus do it again. Let’s read the story together. Mark 8: 1-9: “About this time ANOTHER large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food AGAIN. Jesus called his disciples and told them, ‘I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.’ Now doesn’t this sound familiar. Here’s another crowd again with no food. And Jesus takes it upon himself to care about their hunger. “His disciples replied, ‘HOW are WE supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?'” Just like us, the disciples have a unique way of making everything about them. ‘How are WE supposed to …” Let me tell you something, Jesus wants to involve you. He doesn’t need you – he could do it without you – but he chooses you anyway. He chooses to let you get involved in his miracles. He chooses to use what you have and what you can do to create his miracles. He chooses to use your hands and your feet for his divine power to flow through! Just like the disciples though, we often focus on the ‘how’ and forget the ‘who’. Write down those two words – HOW and WHO. Notice they use the same exact 3 letters, it’s just a rearrangement of those letters. If you’re questioning HOW this is going to happen, give yourself a little perspective shift and remember WHO is here with you. HOW is the question of human limitation. WHO is the answer of divine provision. The disciples are asking HOW are they going to find enough food to feed yet another hungry crowd – all while Jesus is once again reminding them WHO he is. “Jesus asks the disciples a question, ‘How much bread do you have?’ ‘Seven loaves,’ they replied. So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. A few small fish were found, too. So Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them. They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten.” Here’s what Jesus was teaching his disciples – Guys, you can trust me! Whatever the situation, no matter how big the need is, you come to me. Give me what you have, no matter how little it is, and in my hands it will become more than enough. At some point during this miracle, the disciples should have been like “Hold up a minute – haven’t we see a problem like this before? Wait, this seems familiar! 6 months ago we had a hungry crowd of people and somehow Jesus took the lunch of a boy and fed them all. We should stop worrying about the lack and start gathering what we do have and take it to Jesus. People are hungry, we have only a little bit of food, so what we have absolutely MUST go into the hands of Jesus!” That was the lesson from the first miracle. This was their opportunity to walk it out. But they failed. They failed just like we fail. And yet, Jesus is so patient. Here’s what Jesus is trying to rewire in us – You see a need, you bring it to him. You don’t have enough, you put it in his hands. You don’t know ‘how’, you quickly focus on ‘who’. Our human instinct is to freak out, make it all about us, go into a tail spin of worry and get overwhelmed. BUT JESUS CAME TO MAKE US NEW! 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW PERSON. The old life is gone; a NEW LIFE HAS BEGUN!” That old freak-out in you can go now. The habit of worry and anxiety, the familiar place of depression and overwhelm – well that can go now. Jesus has made you a new person. As a new person in Christ, you no longer respond the way you used to respond. You stop making it all about you and look for how God wants to work. You shift the focus from ‘how’, rearrange those 3 little letters, and remember it’s ‘who’! Who can meet this need? Jesus! Who can fix this mess? Jesus! Who can make a way through this? Jesus! How do I know? Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it before! This new you that Jesus is creating doesn’t have to respond the way the old you did. This new you doesn’t have to make everything about you. This new you is learning to turn it all over to Jesus and watch him work! That’s why Jesus brought his disciples to ANOTHER hungry crowd who had run out of food AGAIN. Another personal encounter with his miraculous power to prove they could trust him. Another opportunity to learn to turn everything over to him faster this time. So here’s your opportunity, Sis. The next time you face a need, a challenge, a situation that feels impossible, don’t let your first response be, “HOW am I going to get through this?” Instead, stop yourself and remember, “WHO got me through it last time?” The same Jesus who provided before is still providing. The same Jesus who made a way before is still making a way. And the same Jesus who worked miracles then is still working miracles now. You don’t have to figure it all out. You don’t have to see how it’s going to happen. You just have to remember WHO is with you. You’ve seen his faithfulness before. You’ve experienced his goodness before. You’ve watched him make a way before. And today, he’s inviting you to trust him again. Another need. Another opportunity. Another miracle. The same Jesus. So take your eyes off the HOW, fix them on the WHO, and watch what he does with what you put in his hands. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Sometimes God’s plan has us waiting. His timing is not our own timing. But know this, when it is God’s time, then it’s quick time! The very thing that was not happening in all the years before just starts happening! I know something about waiting. On the other side of a 7 year wait I can tell you that wasn’t God’s punishment, that was God’s graciousness towards me. Working in me, growing me, changing me, making me more like the woman I would need to become in this next season of my life. There is a sweetness to walking in the change and breakthrough you waited so long for. But there can also be a sweetness in trusting God is working before you see the evidence. I don’t know where you are on your journey – you’re either still waiting for it or you’re walking in it – or maybe it’s both – there’s some areas of your life that you’re smack dab in the middle of healing, you’re wallowing in the goodness you once dreamed of – and there’s other areas of your life that are in that messy construction faze where things seem to only get worse before they get better. Life can and DOES hold both at the same time. It’s not all good all the time, but it’s not all bad either. Through it all, God is faithfully working. His eye is on you, Sis – he sees. So what do you do here? Here while you’re still waiting for things to change – waiting for things to get better – waiting for breakthrough – waiting for healing – waiting for restoration … YOU LOOK FOR JESUS! Yes, Jesus sees you and he’s moving toward your need. LOOK FOR HIM. In our waiting, we can become so fixated on possible solutions and promised next steps that we overlook the fact that only Jesus can ultimately change this, restore this, redeem this, or make sense of this, my sister. Yes, go to therapy. But your therapist is not your Savior. That’s Jesus. Yes, get treatment. But ultimately, your hope is not in the treatment. Your hope is in Jesus. Yes, talk to a professional. But your professional is not your source. Jesus is. God can absolutely work through therapists, doctors, counselors, treatments, professionals, and countless other means. But don’t let the means become your source. Look for Jesus. One of my favorite miracles of Jesus happened at the pool of Bathesda. This pool was a gathering place for the sick seeking healing. Several years ago I studied this miracle and it changed my life. Like for real, it changed me. It didn’t change my circumstances, but it changed my attitude in the wait and helped me look for Jesus. I believe it can do the same for you today. Here’s how this miracle goes – One day, Jesus showed up at the this pool where all the sick were gathered, but the people there were so focused on the water that they didn’t recognize the One standing right in front of them. John 5:2–9 says: “Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed – lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’ ‘I can’t sir,’ the sick man said, ‘for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.’ Jesus told him, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!’ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!” Now THAT is a miracle. A 38 year miracle. My friends, that’s a long time to wait for a miracle. The pool of Bethesda was associated with mercy and healing, and people had gathered there hoping for something to change. But this man had become hopeless because he believed the only way he could be healed was to get into the water first. He had no one to help him, and someone always seemed to get there ahead of him. So he lay there. And nothing changed. I love the picture this story gives us. This man had become so convinced that healing had to happen one particular way that he could no longer imagine another possibility. Isn’t that how we sometimes feel after watching other people get their breakthrough, but never us? We’re not the favored ones. It will never be us. Our prayers are never answered. Maybe this man had watched other people get what they came for while he remained right where he was. Eventually, he stopped believing that his story could be different. Maybe that’s you too. You’ve stopped believing it’s possible for you and your family. But then Jesus showed up. And Jesus didn’t tell him to try harder to get into the water. Jesus didn’t tell him to position himself better. Jesus didn’t tell him to wait for the next bubbling. Jesus simply said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Sis, what if Jesus wants you to know that His power is not limited to the way you think your answer has to come? You may have decided exactly how God needs to fix it. You may have researched every possibility, made every plan, studied every solution, and determined exactly what needs to happen next. But what if God has a way you haven’t even considered? This man believed the water was his answer. JESUS was his answer. The water wasn’t required. Jesus was enough. AND JESUS IS STILL ENOUGH TODAY. He’s enough for your need. He alone holds the power to change everything. And here’s the part of this miracle that gets me: Jesus asked this man to act before he had any evidence that he could. “Stand up.” Can you imagine? After thirty-eight years of not being able to walk, Jesus tells him to do the very thing he had been unable to do. The man had to believe the word of Jesus enough to move before he had proof that moving was possible. Maybe that’s what’s happening for you. Is Jesus asking you to believe Him for what has seemed impossible? Is He asking you to get over how you’ve always thought it would happen, everything you’ve researched, everything you’ve heard, and every plan you’ve made—and be bold enough in your faith to TRY IT WHEN HE SAYS IT? God’s help is NOT LIMITED. God’s healing is NOT LIMITED. God’s restoration is NOT LIMITED. God’s blessings are NOT LIMITED. We are dealing with a totally unlimited God. Girl, take God out of your box. Maybe you’ve put all your hope in one particular thing, but it’s the equivalent of this man’s pool. You’ve decided, “This is how it has to happen.” But maybe you don’t need the pool. You need Jesus. Lord, forgive us for getting so fixated on the solution to our problems that we overlook YOU. You are our hope. You are our source. WE NEED YOU. He is the answer for your broken heart. He is the answer for your worried mind. He is the answer for your failing marriage. He is the answer for your overwhelming bills. He is the answer for your family. He is the answer for your business. He is the answer for your health. He is the answer for every question you have. It is Jesus. But, do you really want to get well? Some of us have become comfortable with the drama. Some of us have attached our identity to being the victim. Some of us wouldn’t even know who we are without the problem we’ve been carrying for so long. Do you really want to get well? God isn’t interested in lip service. He sees your heart. And if you really want it, here’s what you do next: Let your faith move you to action. You don’t have to know how it’s all going to work out. You don’t have to understand the whole plan. You don’t have to see the evidence before you obey. If Jesus says it, girl… TRY IT! Stand up. Pick up your mat. And walk. ——- But maybe today’s not the day he heals you. Maybe today’s not the day everything changes. Maybe today you still wait. As you wait, you are called to increase, not decrease! Increase your faith, increase your willpower, increase your praise, increase your perseverance, increase your trust in the One who has never once failed you. Don’t let the waiting weaken you. Let it strengthen you! Don’t let the unanswered prayer silence your praise. Let it deepen your worship! Your miracle may not have happened today, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t working today. Keep believing, keep growing, keep showing up, and keep expecting Jesus to do what only Jesus can do. As God prepares his people to wait for 70 years, he tells them to increase. He has promises for them and he is going to fulfill every promise, but they’re going to have to wait for it. But God says as they wait, he wants them to live fully. They are NOT to put their living on hold. He told them to build houses and plant gardens. Marry and have babies. Increase, do not decrease. But as you wait, have you began to decrease? You’re becoming less and less of who you used to be. Like the man laying by the pool of Bathesda, each day losing a little more hope. Each day becoming more dependent on someone else to help him but knowing no one would. I know that’s what began happening to me in my wait. I was waiting for my prodigal daughter to return to our family. Years had gone by and things were only getting worse. I felt less and less like who I used to be, and I started acting less like myself. I became guarded, bitter and hardened. Decreasing. All while God was saying, AS YOU WAIT, INCREASE! That’s when I studied this story of the 38 year wait for healing. And on that day, I felt the Holy Spirit ask me a question. “Pamela, will you wait for 30 years? Will you continue living and live WELL, will you find joy in the wait, will you continue to trust me and chose to live in awe and wonder even if it takes 30 years to bring your daughter back?” He was asking me to increase in the wait instead of continuing to decrease. That day, I opened my hands, I surrendered the timeline for my miracle and my preferred method for the miracle and I agreed to increase in the wait, even if it took 30 years. Let me tell you something, the moment I made the decision to keep living while I waited, I felt unspeakable strength and joy! And, in God’s incredible sweetness, although he asked me for 30 years, he showed up and did it in 7! My family is healed and restored!!!!! That’s only through the power of God. Jesus showed up and he did what only he could do. And I’m so grateful he showed me I didn’t have to be miserable while I waited. And neither do you, my friend. If you’re still laying at your pool of Bathesda, awaiting healing, remember this: 1. LOOK FOR JESUS. He has a way of showing up right where he’s needed most. Don’t forget how desperately you need him. Your situation may feel hopeless, but you are never beyond his reach! 2. WANT TO BE WELL. His restoration is far better than settling for pity, handouts, or a lifetime of excuses. Don’t let the enemy convince you to make a home in the very place Jesus wants to heal you. You were made for more than surviving beside the pool! 3. TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN FAITH. You likely won’t feel different when Jesus tells you to get up. Your circumstances may not look different yet, and you may not feel ready. But faith doesn’t wait until you feel strong enough. Faith takes Jesus at his word and moves! When he says, “Get up,” you get up. When he says, “Pick up your mat,” you pick it up. Your healing may begin with a step you don’t feel ready to take, but you take it anyway because Jesus said so. 4. INCREASE IN THE WAIT. Don’t put your life on hold while you’re waiting for God to move. Build the house. Plant the garden. Make the memories. Laugh with your people. Look for beauty. Keep dreaming. Keep serving. Keep living! Your miracle is not the only good thing God has for you, and your unanswered prayer is not permission to stop living the life he’s given you. You can be waiting for God to change your circumstances while allowing him to change YOU in the waiting. Don’t spend so much time watching the pool that you forget to live. This is your one precious life, sister. And even here, even now, even while you’re waiting, there is still so much GOOD to be found, so much JOY to be experienced, and so much LIFE to be lived. Increase, don’t decrease! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Imagine being blind and receiving the life-changing miracle of sight from Jesus. This is a miracle Jesus offered the blind in scripture, and if it happened then, it can still happen now. He opens eyes, he restores vision, he enables us to see what we’ve never seen before. Every single one of us need that touch from Jesus. What’s really interesting is the different ways Jesus heals the blind. Have you ever wondered why with some he simply spoke healing from a distance and they were healed, for others he touched them with his hand, and even others he healed in very unexpected ways. If you dig deeper into the ways Jesus healed, you will understand something more about him. Jesus is personal – he meets us where we are and heals us individually. For the one who needs to be touched, he touches them. For the one who needs to hear him speak, he speaks. For the one far away, he sends the power of his word from a distance. For the one who would benefit from a more tangible method, Jesus uses something they can see, feel, and experience. He knows exactly what each person needs, and he is never limited to one way of doing things. Jesus doesn’t fit in our little box. There are no rituals we can repeat. No 10 step plan to recreate. It’s ONLY JESUS – His way – and his way can be different for every one of us! Once, Jesus encountered a man who had been blind his entire life. His eyes had never worked, they had never functioned, he had never seen anything. In John 9, we see Jesus spit on the ground, make mud with his own saliva, and spread that mud all over the blind man’s eyes. Then in verse 7 Jesus told him, “‘Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam’ (Siloam means ‘sent’). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!” Here, Jesus uses mud on his eyes and has him take a step of faith before anything had changed for him. Still blind, now with a muddy face, this man had to go to a pool to wash. He had to walk out his healing. While he didn’t feel it, while he was still blind, he had to obey. Imagine the faith that took! He had mud in his eyes, no sight to guide him, and nothing to prove that anything was happening. All he had was the word of Jesus. And, sister, isn’t that where faith gets real? It’s easy to obey when you can already see the results. It’s easy to believe when the answer is obvious and the breakthrough is unfolding right in front of you. But what do you do when Jesus has given you an instruction and nothing has changed yet? What do you do when you’re still in the dark, still waiting, still wondering how this is ever going to work out? You keep walking. Yes, today, you keep walking. Walk in faith that Jesus sees you and has made a way for you. Walk in faith that he is personally working for you and he’s not going to leave you the way he found you. But you can’t just stand there and stay where you’ve been. You’re going to have to walk this out in obedience, trusting his miraculous power is at work even when nothing has changed yet. You trust what He said, even when you can’t yet see what He’s doing. You take the next step, even when the circumstances haven’t changed. You stop demanding to see the miracle before you’re willing to move in obedience. The man didn’t have to understand how Jesus would heal him. He just had to trust Jesus enough to go wash. And when he came back, everything had changed. If you keep reading in the story, you find the Pharisees are deeply disturbed by this miracle and they begin questioning the healed man. “Who did this? How did he do it?” He didn’t know who Jesus was – he didn’t know his power – he didn’t understand how it had happened – he just knew this man named Jesus made mud with his spit, rubbed that mud on his eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool – and when he did, for the first time ever he was given sight. The Pharisees wanted to argue about it. Funny how such a miracle was received with such drama instead of celebration. (Lord, please forgive us – we’re still doing that today!) Jesus comes back around to this healed man to reveal who he is. Verse 35-38, “Jesus found the man and asked, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ The man answered, ‘Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.’ ‘You have seen him,’ Jesus said, ‘and he is speaking to you!’ ‘Yes, Lord, I believe!’ the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. What was the biggest life changing moment here – was it this man’s eyes seeing for the very first time – or was it this man seeing Jesus as the one worthy of his worship? Eternal impact was made with the later miracle. And really think about it – that’s our miracle too. Even though our eyes might have seen since the moment they opened, there was a time when we didn’t see Jesus as the one to be worshiped. But when he revealed himself to us, our eternity was changed. We were given sight too. We were once blind and now we can see! That’s our miracle. We can see Jesus for who he really is – our Savior, our rescuer, our redeemer! We have a step to take. Maybe your next step is to worship Jesus. Your obedience doesn’t make Jesus powerful. Your obedience puts your faith into action. And sometimes, the step you’re hesitant to take is the very step Jesus is asking you to take next. You may not see it yet, sister. You may not feel it yet. You may not have a single sign that things are changing. But don’t confuse not seeing with God not working. The One who opened the eyes of a man who had never seen a thing is still able to open your eyes, change your perspective, and show you what you’ve never seen before. So take the next step He has given you. Trust His voice. Follow His leading. Worship him. You don’t have to see the miracle to take the step of faith. Some say in order to receive healing from God you must first believe. This man didn’t believe in Jesus first. Jesus saw him and reached for him. Jesus went first! Girl, nothing you did brought Jesus to you – he went first. He saw you, loved you and chose you. His healing is his choice. You see him because he gave you spiritual sight to see him. But you can’t just stay the same now. You must move. Move in obedience. Do what he tells you to do. Go where he tells you to go. Live how he tells you to live. ——- Jesus didn’t always use mud. Do you know why? Because if he did, we would get hyper focused on the mud. We’d be walking around studying the dirt, trying to find just the right dirt, selling little jars of the magical dirt, spitting and stirring up mud, muddying up everything. Again, we have a special way of focusing on the wrong things and missing the entire point. The point wasn’t the mud – the point was Jesus. Jesus heals another man in Mark 8 in a different way. This time, a blind man was brought to Jesus and people begged him to touch and heal the man. Verse 23, “Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, ‘Can you see anything now?’ Imagine this scene for a moment. Jesus takes this man by the hand and walks with him. He leads him away from the village – away from the crowd – to a quiet place. The man had a choice to make here – trust this unseen healer enough to go with him, or not. Allow this unseen healer to guide is steps – or not. Because he walked with Jesus, he experienced his life-changing miracle. A miracle that came through spit. Jesus spit on his eyes. Woah. Why? Why would he do that? Well, what if it was actually very practical? This man’s condition had likely led to infected and sealed eyelids. Opening his sealed eyes didn’t require a miracle, so Jesus didn’t use his miraculous power for that. He used his practical power – a little spit. But his miraculous power was needed to then give those opened eyes sight and that’s why Jesus then laid his hands on him. The spit opened his eyes in a very practical way. The touch of Jesus gave his blind eyes sight. Same miracle, different ways. Isn’t that just like Jesus? He doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to our lives. He knows you personally. He knows what you need, how you need it, and when you need it. And he is able to reach you right where you are. The method may look different, but the miracle maker is the same. How he worked in my life may not be the way he works in your life – and it doesn’t have to be. My healing doesn’t look like your healing – my encounter with Jesus is uniquely my own – and yours is as well. How very special! And, sister, maybe that’s exactly what you need to remember today. Don’t get so caught up in how Jesus is going to work in your life that you miss the fact that he CAN work in your life. Don’t limit him to the way he did it for someone else. Your story may look different. Your healing may look different. Your breakthrough may come in a way you never expected. But the same Jesus who opened blind eyes then is still able to open eyes today. Here he is – can you see him? So, sister, don’t miss Jesus looking for the mud. Don’t miss him waiting for the perfect method or expecting him to work exactly the way he worked for someone else. Open your eyes to HIM. He is the miracle. He is the healer. He is the one who sees you, reaches for you, leads you, and loves you enough to meet you right where you are. And when he asks you to move, move. When he asks you to trust, trust. When he asks you to follow, follow. You may not understand what he’s doing, and you may not see the change yet, but keep walking with Jesus. Because the greatest miracle isn’t just that he can change what you see around you – It’s that he can change HOW you see EVERYTHING when you finally see HIM for who he really is. You were never meant to just see a miracle. You were meant to see Jesus! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Today, we will look at the story of Jesus’ first miracle. Do you know what his first recorded miracle was? He turns water into wine at a wedding. Isn’t that crazy? That’s where he decides to reveal his power first? That’s always confused me – but there is so much dept to this miracle and it brings us so much hope today. The first miracle tells us so much about Jesus. It tells us he took time to attend a wedding and cared enough to make it a success. Let me tell you something, sister, Jesus is taking time to show up to every single situation you invite him into and he cares about your details. We often don’t invite Jesus because we assume he must be too big and too busy for our little things, but we’re wrong. Always invite Jesus. He will be right there in the middle of it. And no doubt, when Jesus is there, things just go down different. John 2: 1-2: On the third day a wedding took place in Canan of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. (Notice, Jesus was invited! That’s important. Have you remembered to invite Jesus? I’m being serious. Is Jesus invited to your family gathering, your vacation, your meeting, your commute, your appointment, your celebration, your Monday? Just in case you forgot to invite him, do it right now. For real, stop everything and invite Jesus to go with you today wherever you are going.) Verse 3-4: When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.” “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” (Yes, Mary asked Jesus to get involved in a situation that really had nothing to do with him. Did you know you can do that too? Maybe the problem you’re facing isn’t Jesus’ problem, but you can still get him involved! And girl, when you get Jesus involved, everything changes! Jesussssssss, I’ve got a problem!) Verse 5-8, Mary says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons. “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did. (Mary is asking for Jesus to fix the problem of wine running out at the wedding. Jesus’ response was to take the jars that were available and fill them with what there was, which was water. Water wasn’t what was wanted, but water is what Jesus would use. All the servants had to do was take what was available and fill it with what there was. The rest was up to Jesus.) I think today, Jesus is asking his girls to take what is available and fill it with what there is. It doesn’t matter if what you have seems insignificant. It doesn’t matter if what you have seems undesirable. Jesus isn’t asking you to focus on what you have, he’s asking you to focus on him and put what you have in his hands. Verse 9-11: When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from – though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believe in him. Do you understand the magnitude of the miracle here? It’s literally just slipped in like an insignificant detail in parentheses (after the water had become wine). This is a big deal of impossible magnitude. Let’s do the math. There were 6 stone water jars each holding 20 or 30 gallons. Jesus had them fill each of the jars to the brim. Not just a little. Not just enough. Not half way. All the way. Oh girl, don’t you know when Jesus is invited, he goes all the way for you! He doesn’t kinda sorta, barely, maybe, do a little something for you … no, he does it big! He made 120 to 180 gallons of wine! There are 5 bottles of wine to each gallon, that means Jesus made 600 to 900 bottles of wine! Jesus offers abundance. Jesus offers overflow. Are you living in his abundant overflow, or have you settled for less and failed to ask him for more? Jesus is not limited. Heaven’s storehouses are overflowing. Angels are awaiting their mighty command. This IS being made possible! Think about the miracle itself, turning water to wine. Water is the most basic of all liquids. It’s clear with no flavor. It’s two hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom, with a total absence of all other things. Water does not and cannot become wine. That’s impossible. Yet, that’s precisely what Jesus did. And here’s what that tells us today: Jesus will take what you think is nothing, and he will make it into something. He will take what would require way more time than you have, and he will make it happen precisely when it needs to happen. Substance and time are not a limitation for Jesus. You think there’s not enough time for the things you need to change to really change. Jesus says, think again! About 6 months was required for grapes to ferment and become wine. But that would have been the low quality wine. The best wine would require more time for aging. That’s the wine Jesus made … the best. And how long did it take him to make it? Only as long as it took the servants to fill the stone jars with water. Stop dismissing the miracle you need because of the time you think it will require. Jesus holds time. He can and will do the impossible. Time will not be a limitation! And when Jesus does the impossible for you, it will be the best of the best. It will be the finest of the fine. He will come through with greater than you ever imagined. It will be more than you hoped for! I bet you already have an experience of Jesus coming through and giving you more than you imagined. I bet he’s already shown up in the middle of your human need and done heavenly things. He’s already proven he will get personally involved when you invite him. So, girl, just invite him! He’s going to ask you to use what you have even when it seems insignificant. Use it. Be obedient in your faith. Your questioning is getting in the way. I know it looks like you don’t have what it will take to meet the need you’re facing, but never forget you have WHO IT WILL TAKE. This will take Jesus, and he’s right here for you! Yes, this problem you’re facing, this issue you’re dealing with, this circumstance that hasn’t been getting any better … this takes Jesus. When you step into it today, make sure you invite Jesus to come with you. He will always accept your invitation and he will always get involved in anything you ask him to get involved in. He cares about you. He cares about your family. He cares about the things that concern you. And he has a solution that defies science, defies time, and defies what everyone else says is possible. But you know … you know your Jesus does the impossible for you because you’re his girl! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

You’ve been trying to make something work, but you’ve been failing. No matter how hard you try, no matter what you’ve done, it’s simply not working. It hasn’t happened and you’re losing hope of it ever happening now. Hopeless is a hard place to be. Hopeless can be a dangerous place to be. Hopeless can also be a miraculous place to be. When it’s humanly impossible, you’ll know without a doubt it was God who made it happen. When there’s no way it could have been you, you’ll know exactly who deserves the glory. When all hope is gone and the impossible happens, you’ll know it was never your doing. It was God’s. And sometimes God lets it get to the point where you can’t take the credit for what He’s about to do. Maybe that’s where you’re at – you’re at the point where God is going to do something and you will KNOW it was him. It wasn’t you – it wasn’t your hard work – it wasn’t your idea – it wasn’t your willpower or your tenacity – and it certainly wasn’t good luck – You’re going to know it’s GOD! How do you align yourself for a work of God? When is the optimal time for God to show up? How do you get in on what he is doing? Well we’re going to read about a miraculous fishing trip to find our answers. Luke 5: 1-11: One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Here we see a miracle of Jesus making something work that had not worked before. We see Jesus doing something in a way that was no doubt his power at work. A miraculous haul of fish for fishermen who had fished the entire night and caught nothing. And here in this story, we get our directive on how to be part of the miraculous with Jesus. Notice the timing for the miracle. This came after a hard night of fishing on the Sea of Galilee where they didn’t catch a thing. Nothing. They had failed. And understand, these men were professional fishermen. They weren’t out fishing for fun – they were fishing for survival. This is how they fed their families. Their future depended on catching fish. They knew how to catch fish and they knew if the fish were there, they would have caught them. They simply weren’t there. No matter what they did, they couldn’t catch any fish that night. Now, it was morning and they were washing their nets. Let me tell you something, that’s not a fun job. It’s one thing to wash nets when you’ve had success, but it feels like a complete waste of time when you’ve caught nothing. They must have been frustrated. Maybe they were even worried about money because they certainly hadn’t made any with their empty nets and boats. And that’s when Jesus says the timing for a miracle is right. That’s when Jesus knows his power will not be denied. The perfect timing for a miracle is when nothing else has worked. The perfect timing for a miracle is when all hope is gone. When the boat is empty, the nets are empty and you have nothing to show for a whole lot of hard work – that’s when God knows he will get all the glory. Are you there right now? Yes, in this place of desperation you didn’t want to be in. In this place where everything has been harder than you ever imagined. In this place where you fought so hard to NOT be. Oh Sis, this may be the grounds for a miracle move by God himself! LOOK FOR HIM HERE! After disappointment and failure, in their monotonous work of cleaning their nets is where Jesus encounters them. He doesn’t show up with a bunch of fish, he shows up with an ask. A request. Jesus asks to use their boat. They must have been tired after working all night. We know they were discouraged. There’s a chance they were even worried. But when this man asks if he can get on their boat with them so he can teach this crowd of people gathered, they said yes. They didn’t know this man was the Savior of the world. They didn’t know he was the Messiah. They certainly didn’t know he was about to radically change their lives forever. But they said yes. The miracle God has for you will always begin with your willingless to let Jesus get in your boat. To let him into your disappointment. To let him into your exhaustion. To let him into the very place where you’ve been working so hard and seeing so little return. Before Jesus filled their boats with fish, they made room for him in their boats. And maybe that’s your miracle move today, girl. Maybe it’s not another frantic attempt to make something happen. Maybe it’s not another late night of trying harder, figuring it out, or forcing a door open. Maybe it’s simply saying, “Jesus, you can have this. You can have my empty boat, my failed attempts, my tired heart, and my plans that haven’t worked. Get in. I’ll make room for you.” The filling was his job. The invitation was theirs. What if the very place where you’ve experienced your greatest disappointment becomes the place where you experience God’s greatest demonstration of power? What if the thing you’ve been trying so hard to fix becomes the very thing through which God reveals himself to you? What if your empty nets aren’t the end of your story, but the beginning of a miracle you couldn’t have orchestrated if you tried? Now, with Jesus in their boat, he teaches – they listen. And after he finished teaching, he says to them, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” These fishermen knew that was ridiculous. They had already tried that water. And they had already washed those nets. However, there was a single decision that changed the trajectory of their lives and here it was – “BUT IF YOU SAY SO – I’ll let the nets down again.” Jesus, if you say so, I’ll try this again. If you say so, I’ll go back out to the place it didn’t work and I’ll try again. If you say so, I’ll do it – even when it doesn’t make sense – even when I’m tired – even when I’m frustrated – even when I think it’s kinda crazy. BUT IF YOU SAY SO – I’ll do it. There’s your miracle move, girl. Make room for Jesus, then do what he says. Could that be your prayer of surrender today? Jesus, if you say so, I’ll do it. I’ll go. I’ll try again. I’ll listen. I’ll obey. And here’s what happened this time when they drop the nets because JESUS SAID SO – “This time, their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!” Both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. From no fish to two boats overflowing with fish. From nothing in the nets to the nets tearing because a massive amount of fish all swam directly into those nets at just the right time. And imagine Jesus for a moment. Imagine him sitting on this sinking boat with all these fish just smiling saying, “Yip, I did that – and this is just the beginning, boys!” Jesus saw some ordinary men who were willing to listen to him – willing to do things that didn’t make sense – and willing to give him credit for doing what only he could do. And now he has an invitation for them – an invitation to follow him. Would you follow Jesus if he said, “Come?” Would you go? What an exciting adventure that would be – Yes, Jesus, I’m in! But let me tell you, sometimes following Jesus costs you something. It’s not always an easy yes. It’s an uncomfortable yes. It’s a shaky yes. It’s a yes when you don’t know where he’s taking you or what he’s going to ask of you next. It’s a yes that may require you to leave behind what feels safe, what feels familiar, and what you’ve worked your whole life to build. Because look at what happened next. These men had just experienced the biggest fishing haul of their lives. Their boats were overflowing. Their nets were breaking. This was the kind of catch every fisherman dreamed of! This was retirement money. This was the jackpot. This was fame. And right when they had more than they could have imagined, Jesus invited them to leave it all behind and follow him. And they did. These fishermen became the disciples we read about. They were the men who walked with Jesus here on earth. The ones who got to witness his miracles first hand and be part of them. The ones who Jesus trusted to continue his work after the cross. But in this moment, they were tired fishermen who had just been blessed with the catch of a lifetime and then asked to walk away from it all. Not only walk away from the fish, but walk away from their nets and their boats. Their source of income. Their livlihood. Their plans for the future. Everything they ever knew. And here’s the wild thing – they did! It says, “They left everything and followed Jesus.” That’s how Jesus knew he had the right people. They were willing to leave everything and follow him. Does he know that about you? Would you be willing to leave the big house? Would you be willing to leave your current job? How about your current location? WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO LEAVE THE BLESSING TO FOLLOW THE ONE WHO BLESSED YOU? My friend, I’ve been stuck before – stuck in all that God has given me and missing what he’s calling me to. The best thing I ever did was drop it, walk away and dare to follow Jesus where he was leading me next. Was it scary? YES! Was it devestating to our business? No doubt! Was it worth it? Well, I’m never turning back! Are you willing to follow Jesus when it means letting go of something you love? Are you willing to trust him when you can’t see the whole picture? Are you willing to say yes to the next step even when you don’t know what the next ten steps will be? Sometimes we’re so focused on asking Jesus to fill our boats that we miss the greater invitation to follow him. We want the miracle, but Jesus wants our hearts. We want him to change our circumstances, but he wants to change our lives. We want the blessing, but he wants us to discover that the greatest blessing is being with him. God doesn’t need you to have it all figured out. He needs you to be willing to follow where he leads. Your miracle may begin with an empty boat, but don’t be surprised if it ends with a whole new life. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com