Recently, I was reminiscing about when my husband and I were
looking for a new home. We had looked
at so many homes; new construction, old construction, newly renovated, and even
the fixer upper. Exhausting. It is an emotionally tedious task to buy a
home. I was totally resistant to
purchasing a home that was a fixer upper or was under construction. Nothing about being “under” construction
appeals to me. The thought of being
“under” construction is just that being “under” everything that it entails:
drywall, dust, nails, screws, and metal framing. I am the sort of girl who likes things
organized and ordered. I could not see myself living in middle of a renovation
or re-construction. It is against my
nature. It would have been misery. Needless to say, we did not buy a house that
needed renovation. My remembrance of all this makes what I about to share even
more revealing.
About two weeks ago I was ministering to a dear friend about
increasing her capacity for God. I
sensed the LORD telling me that our spirits ‘as spirit’ have an unlimited
capacity for God. We cannot contain all
of Him but we have the capacity to flow in more of him than we know. Our spirits expand, transform and conform to the
image of Christ from the inside out. We must speak to our spirit, spirit words,
that will cause it to respond to the incorruptible seed of the Word of God. (An
excellent resource is Blessing Your Spirit by Sylvia Gunter and Arthur Burk).
After some reflection on the importance of increasing the
capacity of my spirit, I heard the Lord say, “enlarge your tent”. I knew the
phrase was from Isaiah 54:2. At first I was not sure what the Lord was saying
to me. Interestingly, I do have a present situation that it is speaking to and
trust me it was not what I wanted to hear. Just keeping it real. Therefore, I
continued to meditate on the word and just kept asking the LORD what He was saying
because I didn’t want the surface, religious traditional interpretation. Usually that is what surfaces first in my
consciousness when I hear something from the Lord, but I have learned to listen
more intently. It is important to keep knocking, keep asking, keep seeking for
the deeper revelation. He will reveal what He desires when we do. Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory
of kings. Kings seek the glory out. Kings seek out the revelation.
Father is doing something supernatural in His daughters;
those daughters that are looking to be transformed into the image of
Christ. What no one really wants to talk
about is the fact that to be transformed and conformed there must be a death. Isaiah is prophesying to barren Israel and
telling her to prepare for children.
Enlarge
the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine
habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes
The prophet is speaking to the nation at the time, but the
Word of God speaks to our lives personally and corporately when we have ears to
hear. This word spoke to me both personally and corporately. I am going to share
the meaning He revealed corporately for His daughters.
A barren woman preparing for children seems like an
oxymoron. Commentaries state that the
prophet was speaking to the entrance of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of God. I
am not commenting on that…I believe that is true. However, I believe this word
is a corporate word for His daughters. Barrenness in biblical times was
indicative of the absence of God’s blessing upon a life. A barren woman lived
under a “societal” curse. Most of us are familiar with one or more biblical
accounts of barren women. Father is speaking to something else -there is
barrenness that is not simply physical but also spiritual.
We are in a season when Father wants His daughters to get
rid of their spiritual barrenness. Spiritual barrenness comes from the
inability to bring forth spiritual seed.
An Inability to birth spiritual seed means, in the most general terms,
that you are not willing to count the cost.
Jesus said, “except a corn of
wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit. He that
loveth his life shall lost it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall
keep it unto eternal life.” (John 12:24) In order to give birth to
fruitfulness a death must occur, fruitfulness comes from a dying to self.
Most of us daughters have missed fruitfulness in our lives
because we were unwilling to die to something for the fruit to come forth. We
stay in barrenness because our own wounds keep us from giving birth. When you give birth, your energy all of it, is focused on the seed coming forth. Not yourself. Not your own needs. Fruitfulness comes from self-LESS-ness. Father wants his daughters to prepare for
spiritual births, fruitfulness. He is going to get rid of the barren areas of
our lives as we are willing to give birth to His will in the earth. Giving
birth to His will requires radical obedience. Our wills are relinquished to His
will, so that fruit in the Kingdom can come forth.
Many daughters will birth things in the spirit; things they
have never even imagined. Much of which they will not even know on this side of
heaven. Some of it will be revealed in
the ages to come. Daughters, our tents must be enlarged. The stakes will be
strengthened and there will be an increase in the Kingdom because of our
obedience. Our willingness is created in the spirit in “secret place” intimacy
with the Father. Barrenness and
unfruitfulness will be a thing of the pass because the time of birthing has
arrived-there is a pull of the Spirit that compels us to endure whatever is
necessary to bring His seed to birth.
This is what we are being groomed and fashioned for. We are “under” construction. Not only
warriors but also warriors with a womb. Those who fear the LORD, like the
Hebrew midwives, will bring to birth regardless of the cost. In the natural,
there isn’t much appeal to a house that is “under” construction unless you have
vision to see what will come forth if there is a completion of the work.
Daughters of God, enlarge your spirit and capacity for His
will for you. Enlarge your tent and prepare for a death and a birth. It seems counterproductive, but unless the
corn of wheat die it abide alone.
ENLARGE
YOUR TENT
© Ronda Wagner and Kelbey Chronicles 2013-2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without the express and written permission of this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts may be used provided full and clear credit is given to Ronda Wagner and Kelbey Chronicles with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
For too long I have been existing as a "fixer upper", under construction. Why not place myself in the hands of the Master Carpenter. I've got work to do!!!! Thank you for reminding me of the assignments that await before me.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteYes the set time has come for the favor of the Lord to fall on His daughters. We are living in such an exciting time. Come Forth Women of Valor.. Come Forth. Thanks Ronda for truly these are Words of Encouragement!!!!
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