I Have a Voice

Voices of my past, voices of now; come rushing at me, bombarding my thoughts, trying to tear me down. There are voices everywhere; voices of lies, clawing at me, loud voices, silky, slinking voices trying to shred my very being.

Hush, my child, hush my child, listen to me; don’t accept the voices that take you away from me.  I have given you a spirit not of fear, but one of power, love and a sound mind.  My Spirit allows you to cry, Abba Father and it settles you into a place of peace.

Voices of anger, voices of rebellion, threaten to rise up in me, against the voices that are slamming against who I am.  I want to shout and fight back, to beat down the voices that are shrieking at me.

Hush my child; don’t listen to the lies of the enemy.  Find your center, your voice in Me.  I am the great I AM.  I am the God of Abraham and I am your God.  I love you and that is what you need to know.  No matter your mistakes and sins of the present, past or future, you are safe in your Daddy’s hands.  No power of hell, no person of influence can snatch you out of my hands.  I have paid for you with the blood of the Lamb.

The pound of my heart starts to beat in rhythm with the truth of God’s word.  The voices that clamor for my attention start to fade away.   I began to listen to the voice of the Great I AM.  I hear the voice of Jesus, the One and only perfect Lamb.

My blood was spilled out on the cross for your sins; and I cover you completely from within.  The power of the cross cannot be broken, for I took your place on Calvary’s tree and my blood was spilled out for thee.  My love covers a multitude of sins.  My love sets you free within.  I give you a voice that sings, freedom!  My voice gives you the ability to forgive; it opens up your heart and allows you to live. You are mine, no matter what others say.  You are my child and I love you and created you in a very special way; you are unique and wonderfully made.

Lord Jesus, Abba Father, I hear your voice calling me.  My heart releases all my fears, anxieties, anger and shame.  I put in place, your perfect covering.  Holy Spirit, you give me the voice and power to praise and sing.  I am a child of God; I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  I’ve been chosen by the Great I AM.  I am safe in my Father’s arms and I need not fear.  All that I go through passes through his hands because I am a beloved child of the Great I AM.   I am no longer chained to the voices of this world; the ones that try to suck me down and still my joy from within.

That’s right my child, sing praises to my name, focus your heart and mind on my truths, and my Spirit will pull you above the waves.  I am the Rock that you can stand on, all other ground is sinking sand, but I am solid because I am the Great I AM.

The voice of the Spirit stirs inside and starts to rise from deep within. My heart is full of praise for you my God, for you Jesus, my powerful, Savior, Deliverer and friend. The healing truths of your word set me free within and whom the Son has set free is free indeed!

 Lord you have broken up the fallow ground, the waters from beneath are springing up from within, bringing new life to me.  Abba Father, Daddy, Jesus, Thank you for your goodness and for your love.  Thank you for your Spirit who comes from above.  Thank you for the freedom I have in you.  Thank you for giving me a voice that can sing out clear and true.

Lord, I pray for all the beaten down and weary.  I pray for those who have no voice.  God, intervene and give them a voice that comes from your Spirit.  Give them a voice that shouts, Freedom!  Calm their hearts and minds, and give them peace.  Put a new song in their hearts Lord and lead them on your path of truth and love.  Amen

 Triss Curtis 4/4/2016

Resting in Jesus

"I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken."  (Psalm 62:1-2 HCSB)

Life sometimes feels like a whirlwind; motion, swirling all around you. There are events, requests, demands that surround you and you feel like you are being sucked into the never ending tornado of life.  

You start asking questions like: How did I get to this place? Why does everything feel out of control?  How can I get off this merry-go-round?

There is only one way; fix your eyes on Jesus in the midst of the chaos. Look into the Word and hear his voice say, "come apart with me and rest a while."   As you sit at his feet and learn from him, life comes back into focus.  You start to realize, what is important and what is not.

Dear friends in the busyness of this life, pause, take time before the Lord in the word and prayer.  Rest in him and allow his truth and peace to wash over you and calm your spirit.  And most importantly, keep your eyes on Jesus and the whirlwind, will not suck you up into anxiety and fear. Instead, as you look into his eyes, the whirlwind will start to fade away and you will find perfect peace because your mind will be focused on Him.

My morning  prayer song:
(I find my rest in God alone.  He is my salvation; he is my strength.  He is my rock and I will not be shaken. 
I find rest in Christ my King; he is Lord and Savior of all things.  I find my Sabbath rest in Him. I rest from my own works and depend on Him.  He is the Rock of my salvation and I stand firmly upon his truth.
Jesus Christ I rest in you.  All my troubles, fears and concerns I surrender to you.  I lay down my burdens at your feet; I take up your yoke and follow you.  Jesus Lord of my heart, I find my rest in you.  Amen)

Cast all your worries on Me.

            Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.

                    Cast all your cares upon me for I care for you. 

As long as the sun rises and the sun sets; I am with you.

            

I created the heavens and the earth.

Though the mountains tremble and fall into the sea, do not be afraid, for the Everlasting God of all creation is watching over thee.

I see the smallest dew drop and the ocean so deep.  

I see the little sparrow sitting in it's nest and the eagle that is soaring majestically.

My eyes search far and wide for those who will put their trust in me.

I am the Alpha and Omega.

I AM the first and the last.

I am the Lion of Judah and the pure and spotless Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world.

I am the Mighty God.  I am Jesus your Savior and King. 

I am your Father in heaven and nothing in your life escapes my notice.  

Come cast all your worries on me.  

I am the Great I AM, who watches over thee.

(by Triss Curtis 11/16/2015)

Diamond in the Rough (From Coal to a Diamond)

Coal under heat and pressure becomes a diamond.  Our lives start out as coal, darkened by our sin and the sin of others.  God comes with the light and the power of His Spirit and when we allow Jesus to take over; the transformation begins.

 The Holy Spirit takes the pain, the heartaches, our failures and weakness and brings the heat of his truth into our mind and spirit.  As we listen to Christ and allow his Spirit to change our hearts and mind sets; our lives become clearer. 

The darkness flees, as Jesus shines into the areas of unforgiveness, shame, guilt and habitual sin. Just like a diamond of great value is clear and has a “fire” in it, so are we, as Christ works in our lives.  He purifies us and His “fire” shines through us to influence the lives of others.

 In this way, God takes what the enemy of our soul means for evil and instead He turns it for our good and the benefit others, as well as ultimately for His glory.

(Lord, thank you for taking the dark areas of our lives and making something beautiful out of them.  Thank you for continuing to purify our lives, so that we are shining diamonds in this dark world.  Amen)

1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV)

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

by Triss Curtis Nov. 4, 2015

Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning

Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning

“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

Last night I found myself awake at 2 am. I was restless and could not sleep, so I got up and went downstairs to read the bible and pray.  After meditating on God’s word and praying, my mind and spirit were at peace and I was able to go back upstairs and get more sleep.

When I woke up, Christy and I drove to get some coffee; she then headed to work and I started walking back home, for some exercise. It was early in the morning so the sun was lower in the sky; it seemed so quiet and peaceful; I felt grateful and I started praying and thanking God for the everyday things that I normally take for granted. I thanked him for the ability to breathe and to walk, and to be outside in the fresh air.  My mind wandered back to my early morning restlessness.My heart was full of thanksgiving for being able to go back to sleep.  

To most people that may not be a big deal, but I had a season in my life, where I was not getting enough sleep.  I tried many ways to get back to sleep, but my body was on hyper drive and as I would drift off, my body would shake me awake.  My peace of mind went away, my thoughts became jumbled and I wondered why God was allowing me to go through this trial.

 

It seemed the antithesis of his recent promise to me of blessing.  I started to wonder, what I did wrong.  Old memories of past sin and the feel of abandonment washed over me.  I felt stuck and thought I would never be released from this life sucking trial.  I prayed, others prayed for me, and still I was struggling to fall asleep.

I ended up going to a doctor and taking some medication that would knock me out and allow me to sleep, but the side effect was like living life in slow motion.  I felt dull and depressed.

 ‘Where is your God in all of this? He has abandoned you.’ This was the taunting thought from the enemy.

My emotions felt this was true, but somewhere deep inside me was a flicker of hope, which I believe was from the Holy Spirit.  Even though my faith and feelings were at war and my faith was small, my God was greater than all.  I felt like I was hanging on by a thread, but the Mighty God of Israel, was holding this weak child in His arms.

Finally, one day a breakthrough happened.  God spoke healing to my heart and the dawn light rose in my spirit.  God restored my health and restored the joy of my salvation.  He lifted me out of the pit and did not let my enemy triumph over me.

Yes I had a dark night of weeping, but joy came in the morning!

I do not have an answer for every painful trial we go through, but I do know that there is a sunrise at the end of each trial.  I know that God is with us even in the dark night, though we cannot feel him.  I praise him for restoring my hope, strengthening me and healing my heart.    

I thank God for teaching me to learn to lean on him during my trials and I thank him for reminding me that He is my deliverer.  I am thankful for Jesus, for His faithfulness in suffering for us, so that he can comfort us in our suffering.

Lord, please comfort and strengthen your people.  May we look to you and trust that you will wipe away all our tears and bring joy with the morning sun.  Amen

(Devotional Reading-Psalm 30)

By Triss Curtis  

Christ is my strength for every situation

This year my husband and I have the opportunity to coach our 5^th grade granddaughter’s volleyball team.  Curt is the head coach and I am his assistant.  It is wonderful to see these girls learning to play volleyball and how to work together as a team. 

The hard part for me is; I see them growing and increasing in their skills, and yet they are not winning games.  The mom in me, as well as the competitor in me, wants to see them win some games.  I want them to feel the success of winning, as well as being good sports when they lose.

I woke up this morning, thinking about last night’s game, and the realization came to me that Christ is as much in the losing, as the winning.  The scripture came to my mind, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. “

The apostle Paul said in his letter to the believers in Philippi:

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13

 Paul learned the secret of contentment in his time of need and lack, as well as his time of abundance; it was to depend on Christ to give him strength, in every situation.  I realized that I needed to learn this, as well as the girl’s on our volleyball team. 

It is easy to feel contentment when we succeed and are doing well in life.  It is when the struggles come that we learn whether our contentment is based on our situation, or is it based on our faith in Christ?  Do we trust that God is in all of our circumstances? Do we perceive the difficulties we face as opportunities to spiritually mature and grow in faith, or do we feel like giving up?

If you are in the midst of trials; ask the Lord to give you strength to face them, as well as to teach you contentment in Him.  Allow the Lord to build your spiritual endurance and a heart of gratitude.  If you feel that all is going well today; praise God and ask Him to give you the strength to gracefully receive and enjoy it. 

(Lord Jesus, whatever our situation, easy or tough; give us strength to accept them gracefully and teach us how to be grateful and content in you.  Amen)

Triss Curtis copyright September 2015

The Wounded Place

Recently, someone unwittingly said and did something that brought me back to the “Wounded Place”.   The place that I thought was healed and untouchable; yet here I am again, a child, feeling unwanted and unlovable. An old wound is opened and starts to fester. There is still some infected tissue that needs to be removed, so I can experience more healing.

As I struggle through the feelings of rejection, a battle is waged in my soul.  The Adult in me is fighting for the truth and who I am in Christ, while the child within is struggling with anger and sorrow.  The adult wants to understand and be gracious; the child wants to attack back and protect herself.  In the midst of this all the enemy of my soul is throwing the old lies in my face, saying, “See, you are not important or lovable, maybe if you were a different person then someone would want you.” 

At the same time Jesus is calling through the fog of pain and self-pity, saying,

“You are my beloved; don’t allow your mind to be twisted by the lies of the enemy. He wants to kill, steal and bring destruction to your life.  Instead of looking at the circumstances and others, look at me; I will clear your mind and give you a true and pure perspective.  I will cleanse your heart and set you free.  I love you with an Everlasting love and no one can snatch you out of my hand.  Every trial you experience is sifted through my hands of grace.  Instead of allowing your circumstances and other’s actions to control your thoughts and feelings, allow me to mature and change you more into my image.  When you focus on me, I am able to bring more healing into your life, as well as my peace and joy.  I am the one that gives you the ability to look away from yourself and onto the needs of others.  Allow my love to unclog your wounded heart so it may flow like a river into the lives of those around you. ”

We all have “wounded places” in our hearts, and Satan wants to dredge them up to continue to sow  anger, discontent, bitterness, self-pity, low self-esteem, etc… in our lives. These attitudes steal our peace and joy and the light of Christ is dimmed in our lives.

Instead of staying in the "wounded place", listen to Jesus; He beckons us to come unto Him for healing and acceptance.  He wants to remove the poison of the "wounds" from our lives; for if they fester, they become sin and keep us from experiencing His peace, love and joy.  If you are having a struggle in this area of your life, turn your eyes back to the life giver, who will change your perspective and allow you to receive His love and abundant life today.

Hebrews 12:1-2

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

John 10:10

“The thief comes only to seal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Psalm 13:5

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my   heart rejoices in your salvation.”

Lord, give us a deeper awareness of your love for us and bring healing to the wounded places in our hearts, so that we may love others, as you have loved us.   Amen

(Triss Curtis May 30, 2013)