"Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by."

Do you remember this old hymn, "Pass Me Not?" This was one of my favorite hymns growing up in church and when I found the rendition by Fred Hammond, I immediately fell in love with it. As a matter of fact, it was the first song we sung when I established a young adult praise team at my home church many years ago. 

The Lord had laid on my heart to start a young adult praise team of those who were often overlooked because of their attitudes, brokenness, different swag or status within the church. They possessed amazing gifts that were being passed over. That desire to bring together those who are considered the least, the underdog was birthed from my own experiences within the church.

So often, in many churches and in our society, if you don't think, look or act like the majority you are the minority and you're passed over. And being passed over does not feel good. It creates a desperation deep within that aches and produces a cry that no one hears.

I found that Abraham had this desperate feeling of desperation too. In Genesis 18:3, Abraham was sitting by the door of his tent; it was a hot day. He saw three men approaching and recognized that they were angels from the Lord. Abraham said to these men, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.” This was a cry of desperation. 

God had seen something in Abraham that He liked, sent His angels, and gave the Word that Sarah would be giving birth. It is amazing that when Abraham looked up he saw three men standing, but when he went to meet them he said, “My Lord…” His physical, natural eyes were seeing three men standing but his spiritual eyes were seeing the Lord. He discerned in his spirit that the Lord was standing before Him. He was aware that this was a special visitation. He discerned that the Lord had paid him a visit. 

Abraham was not only aware of the presence of the Lord, he went out to meet Him. As the custom in those days dictated, a visitor would stand and wait for an invite to the house or tent. Likewise, the Lord is in your presence but He is waiting for you to call Him and invite Him in. He is waiting for your humble cry. He is standing before you with outstretch hands, fully aware of your situation ready to give you a Word that will heal you. Are you going to stand there and watch Him pass by or you will run to meet Him just like Abraham?  Will you pant for Him as the deer panteth for water? Will you allow him to fill that longing deep inside of you? 

He is waiting for you to make a decision. 

The only thing that can successfully refresh your spirit is a visitation from the Lord with a specific word. When Abraham called the Lord to his tent, He was actually inviting Good News. God was there to confirm that indeed Sarah, despite her age, was going to conceive. “Is there anything too hard for the LORD?...” (Genesis 18:14). 

There is nothing to hard for our Lord. Do you invite Him to save you or will You allow Him to pass you by?  You see, when you are aware that Jesus is passing by, you forget about what people think of you. You forget your shortcomings and feelings of worthlessness. You forget the report of the doctors. You forget your position in society. You forget what's in your bank account. You forget your routine and you lay hold of Him. Today, the Savior is waiting for your humble cry, call upon Him and say, “I need you Lord, please do not pass me by!”

Almost every human dilemma at a personal level can be categorized as either fear (emotional difficulty), or doubt (intellectual difficulty). Our emotions and intellect make up our soul and determine the choices we make (our will). Doubt, fear, and inner turmoil—coupled with the things that happen to people throughout the course of their lives—are real hindrances that oppose our peace and challenge our confidence. But believers have amazing spiritual potential.  The very Spirit of God can flow like rivers through our hearts releasing a flood of the fruit (the character) and the gifts (the power) of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit desires to reach down inside of us, remove obstructions to our wholeness, and heal our pain. He wants to fill our souls with God’s peace, but there’s a distinct way in which that peace flows.

Many equate the Holy Spirit with power, rather than relationship. They call upon Him solely for their needs, and not for intimacy, fellowship, partnership, and relationship. Others possess only surface knowledge of the Holy Spirit. They feel Him, but they do not know Him as a friend would know a friend. They do not understand His emotions, or know His character beyond what is generally taught. They know of His works, of His functions, of His capabilities, but they do not know Who He is, the person of the Holy Spirit. That was me. 

Scripture describes the Holy Sprit as having personal characteristics. The Spirit speaks (Acts 8:29; Heb. 3:7). The Spirit may be spoken to, tested, grieved, insulted, or blasphemed (Acts 5:3, 9; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 10:29). The Spirit sometimes uses the personal pronoun "I" (Acts 10:20; 13:2). The Spirit lives (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 3:16). The Spirit guides, calls, commissions, and intercedes. (Rom. 8:14, 26; Acts 13:2; 20:28).

Are you thirsty for more out of your life?  Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37, 38).  John explains Jesus' words further in verse 39 and tells us that by this [rivers of living water],  Jesus meant "the Spirit", The Holy Spirit is the source of our deepest satisfaction. He quenches our thirst. The Spirit lives! God gave us His Spirit so that we can experience intimacy with him now.

The Greek word for communion is referred to as koininia. Koininia means unity, a close association, fellowship, close bond, or a partnership. I have a koininia relationship with the Holy Spirit. I dialogue with Him constantly. There is a bond that is so close I can't even describe it. We share, talk, ask questions of each other, communicate openly and He surely brings correction. I ask Him questions and He gives me answers. There is a freedom in our fellowship. He's like my Father, my comforter, my counselor, my protector and my closest friend. He is with me at all times. And I don't have to wait for Him to come upon me or manifest in some way; I just know He's there.

Several years ago, I read Benny Hinn's book, "Good Morning Holy Spirit".  It was one of my Father's book and at the time I didn't desire a close relationship with God but just wanted to read something of substance. But little did I know that I would recall that book in the darkest moments of my life. After the passing of my father and  aunt, I referred back to what I read in that book and I realized that I did not have that intimacy with the Lord. I didn't know the Holy Spirit beyond the teachings I'd received. I knew His work and His presence, but I didn't know His character. After their passing, over the next year, I would find my FLOW. It first was a nudge and then it developed into a hunger in me. I pursued Him with every ounce of strength I possessed and this is what He wanted from me. He brought me to the place in my life that I was so broken that I hungered to flow with Him instead of against Him; and being in His flow has brought a change that is undeniable. 

I encourage you to give to God what God desires. When we give to God what He desires of us, He will give us what we desire of Him. Most spirit-filled Christians desire a move of the Spirit. If you will allow the Holy Spirit to flow in your life, both through the Word of God and through your worship and prayer life, that flow can penetrate the conscious mind and produce deliverance from any hindrance to God’s fullest purpose for you. The Word made alive by the quickening of the Spirit, being released through the flow of prayer language will be like rivers of living water that will filter through the deep recesses of the psyche, uncovering and breaking down those things which have become obstacles to your liberty in Christ. 

The Holy Spirit is available to FLOW to you a peace of mind in the face of great trial, distress and stress; financial issues, the deterioration of relationships, the bonds of depression, through sickness and disease, and in the face of death. The more yielded, empty, broken, and obedient you can become, the more the power of the Holy Spirit can FLOW in your life. He's just waiting for you to ask Him to FLOW.

~Yolanda D.

Anyone feeling overwhelmed today?  Most of the time, at least in my life, when I’m feeling overwhelmed I have procrastinated or wasted time.  I have worked my hardest, trying to focus on what is important and still I find myself well, stressed.

Anyone with me?

We have too many things to do and not enough time to do them. We know our family is important, so we make time for them.  We know work is important, so we make time for it.  The important things are a priority in life and still there is just not enough time in the day.  So what do we do when we are focusing on the BIG things and we still feel overwhelmed?

Life is full of situations that can overwhelm us. First of all, let us look at how the dictionary defines the word “overwhelm”:

• to overcome completely in mind or feeling: overwhelmed by remorse.
  
• to overpower or overcome, esp. with superior forces; destroy; 
• crush to cover or bury beneath a mass of something, as floodwaters, debris, or anavalanche; submerge
• to overthrow.
  

Have you ever felt any of these things. I have. And we are not the only ones that have felt overwhelmed. We can look in the scriptures at David, a man after God's own heart. Yes, even godly people like David experienced times in their lives when they lacked courage, motivation, or was fearful and had a general lack of strength. We can find his cry in Psalms. It reads:

“From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!” Psalm 61:2-4 (NIV)

The Contemporary English Version of Psalm 61:2-4 says, "I feel hopeless, and I cry out to you from a faraway land. Lead me to the mighty rock high above me. You are a strong tower, where I am safe from my enemies. Let me live with you forever and find protection under your wings, my God."

The King James Version of Psalm 61:2-4 says, "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings." 

David needed a rock of protection, one that was higher than his troubles, a divine protection. He was physically and emotionally drained, so he cried out to the "rock that is higher than I", knowing this was a place of safety with God. David was not literally at the end of the earth, but he was in a place where safety and deliverance seemed obscure.

We've all walked, or will walk, through days of despair. During those days, weeks, or years, we must cling to God or sink further into desperation. Just like David, we must learn to “encourage ourselves in the Lord” (1 Samuel. 30:6).

The next time you’re at the end of your rope, or your circumstances seem to be swallowing you up, or life is overwhelming you, be sure to run to Him in prayer … no amount of wishing and hoping and positive thinking will rescue you. ling to the Rock through your days of trouble and He will grant you peace. When you feel overwhelmed, when you begin to feel hopeless, when you lose heart, cry out to the Lord. He is your Rock, your Strong Tower, your Safe Refuge from the storms of life. 

Remind yourself that the God you serve is a mighty God. He will protect you. He will keep you safe. And He will deliver you. Always! We’ve all felt overwhelmed and hopeless at one time or another. But it is not okay to continue feeling that way – not when Almighty God is your Father and He promised to carry our burdens!

To take the Lord’s light burden on ourselves is a self-imposed test of faith. The Lord is God-Man. He has endured what we endure. The clarity that He is our Rock gives us strength. All of this lets us find endless comfort and hope in the words, “From the end of the earth I will cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

If you cling to the Rock, you will be on top of your problems and see your circumstances from a far different perspective as you will be standing on the Rock who is higher than I. 

 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” ~ Ephesians 2:4, 5, 7-10 NIV

Just what are these good works? Is it enough to be a good person, doing good things for good people? Or would a gift so great, we could never do anything to earn it or repay its favor, require something much more profound from us?

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8, that God saved us through faith as an act of kindness. We had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God so it is clear that we have earned nothing. Therefore, it should also be clear that something much more than being a ‘good’ person is required to show God we appreciate this gift. Well how do we do that?

God, being the loving, merciful, generous God that He is, even helped us in this. He has given each of us specific work to do and He has graciously and thoroughly equipped us for the work (2 Timothy 3:17). No matter our assignment, through God’s grace and favor, we have been given additional gifts to assist us to do the work. God has prepared the way for us (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Those gifts are tapped into by exhibiting our gratefulness of God’s mercy and favor, which makes a way for the Holy Spirit to work through us. Through the Spirit, we can access our gifts. All gifts are not the same and not everyone has the same gifts. It is our responsibility to seek God’s guidance and direction (Psalms 32:8) regarding what our gifts are and how they should be used, but be reminded that whatever your gift or gifts in the Spirit, you are to use them for the common good and furtherance of the kingdom of God  (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

So, are you walking in the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23)? Are you operating in your gifts?

Contributed by: Veronica F.