- Day One -
Awake, Awake
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. (Isaiah 52:1, KJV)
Yes, now is the time.
The season has changed.
Growth is imminent.
But first, there will be pain.
The lily in a bed of roses.
The candle inside of a dark room.
Pale moonlight over vast oceans.
The caterpillar before the cocoon.
All in the beginning stages.
All destined for evolution.
For growth and transformation.
These are the works of the Lord.
Scheduled since the beginning.
For all the earth belongs to the Lord.
This includes old seasons ending.
You are not excluded from the changes.
You are not exempt from the growth.
You were created for such a time as this.
The difference is simple, now you know.
Embrace this shift, the tears.
Let go of the memories, the years.
Release the need to fight for control.
God can step in when you decide to let go.
Livi Anderson, Awake, Awake
This passage of scripture is so powerful. It is the opening of the chapter and in this chapter, the Lord is speaking. Verse one is a clarion call to a sleeping city to wake up. After years of being lost and oppressed, the city of Jerusalem had lost itself and began to lose hope.
The Prophet Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a turning point and shift. This turning point is much like what you encounter when life happens. Like the inhabitants of Jerusalem, you may be overwhelmed by the tides of life.
Unplanned circumstances, expectations, and obligations lead us to become complacent and comfortable living halfway lives. Never realizing until things change that we have grown comfortable in a place we never belonged and were only supposed to pass through.
It is during these times that you wake up. It is during these seasons that you truly begin to look at your life, at yourself, and at the decisions you have made. So many are lost in the waves of life while looking happy and complete on the outside. Maybe that happiness is heartfelt. Maybe it is contentment with the lemons that life has tossed your way.
However, make no mistake, there is a difference between contentment and complacency. They are separated by the very thin lines of fear and faith. Complacency comes wrapped in a standard package of “I’m okay” and “It will get better one day” while masquerading as genuine contentment.
Fear says that “contentment” is the key to living below the promises of God and compromising your happiness in favor of meeting the obligation of responsibility. You are told that it is your “responsibility” to get a quality education, get a good job, get married, and have children. The lines are set before you’re old enough to understand and sign the contract.
School-aged children are categorized by their “strengths” and given education tracts that promise a life full of growth and stability. We are told: Mistakes? Deal with them. Live with them. But stay committed to the vision. The problem is whose vision you adhered to and whose opinion of you shaped and made you who you are today.
Where is the room for grace? For growth? Where are the love of the Father and the purpose for which you were created? These concepts are not discussed much and the principles are rarely embraced. The thought that you can reinvent your life and become a stronger, wiser, and more fulfilled version of yourself is, for the most part, a foreign concept.
Your family may fear that you’ve encountered an identity crisis and that you need help. Coworkers and friends may not be able to understand. You may find yourself feeling alone, frustrated, and confused. This is what happens when you wake up. This is what happens when you truly start to believe that God can do anything. Restore your dreams. Redeem the years, dry those private tears, and allow the Lord to make all things new.
This is the beginning of an awakening, redemption, growth, and evolution. This is where the lily realizes that it’s surrounded by roses. The candle begins to flicker and the moon begins to shift. Your time as a caterpillar is coming to an end. This is also the beginning of a deeper relationship with Jesus. Fortunately, Queen, you are not alone and the time for you to arise has come.
Journaling Prompt: Authority & Dominion Belong To You. - Livi Anderson
What are your dreams? Your visions? The things that God has been calling you to do? Write them down. No matter how impossible they seem. Remember, we serve an almighty God.
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?”
(Jeremiah 32:27, KJV)
You can answer below and share your thoughts with the community or simply do these in your journal.