Ishah C. Whipple's Blog, page 2

He is our Wonderful Counselor, I am never alone

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This week’s topic is a personal one for me.  I often struggle with rejection and feeling alone.  I’ve moved around a lot and rarely get the chance to build relationships with people in general. I spent a lot of time wondering what was wrong with me and God always gives me the same reply.

I tend to find myself looking for counselors. People I can call and talk to about everything. The reality is, God is my counselor. He’s our Counselor.

I know, I know! The first thing people say is, “but I want someone I can see!” Yea, I get it.  That’s all good and dandy, but those people you can “see”….what can they do that God cannot??  In fact, what resources do they have that outweighs God’s resources? Nothing. Zilch. Nada. They can’t hold a candle to God’s limitless abilities.

Allow me to shed light on God, our Wonderful Counselor:

He understands the human soul…I mean, He created us!

Isaiah the prophet called Him the Wonderful Counselor. Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The Psalms talks about how Jesus counsels and instructs. Psalm 16:7

Solomon was a counselor used by God not to judge others, but to walk along side of them and direct them in God’s ways.     Proverbs 12:15

God counsels every part of us. Not just our emotions and issues, but He digs down deep into what really matters…our souls.            Mark 2:17

He comes as a servant. Always has. It’s not about being put on a pedestal; it’s about serving His children.                    Matthew 23:8-12

He’s like a shepherd; He not only counsels His children, but He lays His life down for them. He takes the time to develop a close and personal relationship with His “sheep” to guide them into greener pastures and still waters. He’s there in dark times to protect and empower His sheep. What friend or family member you know will do the same for you??

He is approachable and engaging just like with the woman from the well.  He didn’t judge her and look at her sideways, even knowing her past and present. He simply spoke to her and counseled her.        John:1-42

Jesus is empathetic. He wept with Mary and Martha as they grieved and He weeps with us every time we’re hurting.  He is our High Priest that sympathizes with us in our weakness.             John 11:35

He’s compassionate, loving, omnipresent, ever ready to listen and act when needed.  God is our ultimate Wonderful Counselor.  He is limitless in His ability to help and guide us in every time of need.

Because He is our Wonderful Counselor, we are NEVER ALONE.

My prayer this week is that we will come to a place where we run to our Wonderful Counselor before we pick up a phone or send a text message.  Especially before we go on social media.

My prayer is that we will build such an intimate relationship with Christ that we look to Him to lead and guide us, to comfort and strengthen us, to complete us in every aspect of our lives so we don’t go running to all the wrong people and places to fulfill a void only God can complete in us.

My prayer is that we grow confident in knowing that we are never alone. We never have to struggle alone. We never have to go through the ups and downs of life alone.  We may not always have consistent friends or family here on Earth, but we have an Eternal Father who is always here for us in good and bad times. To cry to and to celebrate with.  To yell out frustrations to and to sing out our praises to. He’s here for it all.

This week, let’s allow God to be our Wonderful Counselor and bring the comfort, answers, relief, and strength we’re truly needing every day of our lives.

Until next week,

Be Blessed!

LadyWhipp

He is Omniscient, I am Seen

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For anyone whose dealt with loneliness, you can understand the desire to be seen.

To finally build up the courage to take that walk to the altar only to feel like no one even noticed. Like everyone was prayed for but you.

To be surrounded by so much family, yet still feel so overlooked.

To live in a home with your spouse and children or to have so many friends, but somehow still feel invisible.

You can see everyone around you getting blessed and walking through miraculous doors while you struggle to get by on bills or even a glance your way.

I want you to know God is Omniscient. That means He is all-knowing, all-wise, and all-seeing.

The Dictionary defines Omniscient as having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.

Luke 5:1-11 speaks of a time where Jesus gets into Simon’s boat to get away from a coast and speak to a multitude of people that were following Him to hear His teachings.

What the Bible initially does not share is that Simon had been out trying to fish all night and caught nothing.  They had gotten to where the other fishermen decided to leave and wash out their nets. Meaning they had given up on fishing and were washing up to head home.

So here’s Simon after a frustrating night, letting Jesus on his boat to teach and bless a multitude of people in the midst of Simon’s own frustration of a fruitless night.

I’m sure Simon was feeling like chopped liver watching the multitudes be blessed by Jesus’ word while he was probably trying to figure out what went wrong all night.

He felt pretty invisible.

I can’t speak for you, but I’ve had plenty of times where I felt like life was falling apart and yet I seemed to have a front seat to everyone else getting blessed around me. I’ve even had times where God used me to bless or speak a word into someone’s life during my low times.  I would find myself wondering why.  Feeling invisible and insignificant.

However, God is Omniscient.  Even when we feel invisible, as the definition states, God perceives all things.  He sees us even when we feel like ghosts.  He sees what we’re going through and knows how we feel.  He’s not ignoring us.  He’s a God of timing.  He’s methodical in how and when He chooses to do what He alone can do.

Take a look:

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.       Luke 5: 4-11

You see. Even though Simon sat there feeling like a ghost on his own boat while Jesus ministered to the multitude, Jesus was mindful of him. Jesus simply finished His teaching, then turned to take care of the “problem” at hand.

Jesus blessed Simon with more than they could have caught that night.  So much so that their boats began to sink!

Not only were they blessed with an abundance of fish, but Jesus also gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse after a miracle like that. A calling to be fishers of men.

Jesus saw them just like He sees us.  We may go through seasons of questioning and wondering if He sees us and all we go through.  It’s okay. Just know that even if He doesn’t answer or move when you think He should, He knows what’s best and He will answer and provide in the right timing.

This week my prayer is that we come to understand that God sees us. He sees our pains, our trials, our good days and our bad days.  He knows what our needs are as well as our desires.  He sees our tears and even our most frustrating days.  I pray we remember that God has great plans for us, plans to prosper and not harm us; plans to give us a hope and a future. That we remember that God provides security and support for us. His eyes see all our steps.  That God watches our paths and is a light shining the way for us.

I pray we remember God is Omniscient. His eyes saw our unformed substance and all our days have already been written and ordained for us.  He is mindful of us and has already made a way for every situation we are facing and will face in the days, months and years to come.

Because God is Omniscient, He is all-knowing, all-wise, and all-seeing.

Because God is Omniscient, He is unlimited in His knowledge of our lives.

Because God is Omniscient, He perceives all concerning us.

Because He is Omniscient, we are seen.

He sees it all.

He is mindful of our every situation, no matter how big or small.

He will move when the time is right and work it out how He sees fit.

He will work all things out for the good of them who loves Him and are called according to His purpose.

We are not invisible.

He sees us.

He sees you.

Until next week,

Be Blessed!

LadyWhipp

He is LOVE, I am Loved

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While writing this series, I felt it most appropriate to start it off with LOVE.

God embodies perfect love, and for that reason we should allow that to be the first characteristic we accept and walk out in our very own lives.

The Bible describes love in I Corinthians 13:4-8 & 13:

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

“13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

LOVE is awesome! It’s chain-breaking! Healing! It restores! It covers a multitude of sins! Pure and genuine love really does conquer all if you allow it!

Numbers chapter 13 speaks of when the Israelites were in exile. They came upon Canaan and Moses decides to send out spies to check out the land so they knew what they were up against. Whether the land was good, who was inhabiting the land, and how rich or poor the land was.

Moses sends out the heads of each tribe which included Caleb and Joshua.  They spend 40 days spying out the land and picking fruit to bring back to Moses.  When the spies returned, they reported that the land was flowing with milk and honey, but that there were giants in the land that were strong and they would not be able to go against the giants.

Caleb cut in saying they should go in against those giants.  He was confident that they could overcome them. Joshua even backed Caleb up by saying how good the land was and encouraging the Israelites in verse 8, “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey (NKJV)”

The people decided to go with the report of the other spies. They wept and complained to Moses and a journey that could have taken a few weeks turned into 40 years.

What I love about this part of history is the highlight of God’s love. A lot of times we read these stories and wonder what it has to do with us now.  Yes, it speaks of obedience and being confident in God’s provision, but God showed me something so powerful through this story about His love.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had plenty of times when it looked or felt like God wanted me to do one thing, but I ended up doing something else. I took another route.  Not because I didn’t want to, but because I allowed fear of the unknown to scare me away.

The Israelites heard two reports.  They allowed fear to deter them from going straight into a land promised to them by God.  They turned what could have been a 2 week trip to a 40-year journey and a good chunk of them lost their lives in the process.  All that to die in the desert and never see the promise fulfilled. Man…

But GOD.

Because God is love, the promise was still fulfilled.

Because He is LOVE, the Israelites eventually made it to that Promised land.

Even after their hiccup and delay, God still loved them enough to fulfill His promise.

Because God is LOVE, they were loved.

Because God is LOVE, lessons were learned.

Because God is LOVE, the promise was kept.

Because God is LOVE, they were forgiven.

Because God is LOVE, we are loved.

We may not be perfect, but we should strive every day to be better than we were yesterday.  Why? Because regardless of the decisions we make today, we serve a God that is LOVE and loves us unconditionally….even when we don’t love ourselves.

This week, I pray you will take time to repent for any sins known and unknown. For allowing fear to get in the way of what God is placing on your heart to do.  I pray you will come to know God’s love so intimately that your head begins to lift in the confidence of knowing God loves you.  Every part of you. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the hidden.  Know that even when others walk away, God is still there.  Even when you mess up, God is standing there with an open ear. Even when you trip and fall into that pit, God is waiting with His hands stretched out to pull you out.

Be confident, my friend.  Because He is LOVE, WE are Loved!

Until next week,

Be Blessed!

LadyWhipp