Contrast

Genesis 1:2-4 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.

For you hold the light and the dark in your hands.

The light reflects upon the darkness.

It swirls and surrounds, illuminating the flow.

For your hands disturb the darkness, bringing agitation, inciting turbulence.

For I cannot rest upon the flow. There is constant movement, there is constant impact, for I cannot shake it off. For the flow continues, is continuous.

Let your hands be strong and hardened.

Solid yet holding that which is fluid.

For you are my place of security in the storm.

Hold your ground, yes I say hold your ground, hold fast to that which is true, for I am coming soon.

Have I not given you the deep? What is the nature of the ground that you stand upon.

For I declare you are solid in the place of the fluid.

For this day you shall be an iron pillar, and an anchor for others to hold on to.

How cool would it be that the one who cannot swim, becomes the lifesaver for those underwater and overwhelmed?

For behold, what is it that you seek? What is it that you possess? What strength do you possess?

For you shall be a place of security and stability, a refuge that many shall run to, a mighty fortress, and impenetrable wall designed to protect and preserve.

Isaiah 33:6 And there shall be stability in your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His.

You shall be called “the place of strength”, for those who are weak.

Just like those who go to the gym for strength training, many will come to your house to grow in strength and stature.

For your place shall be called “the house of transformation” where those who come, come in broken, maimed, injured, hurt, lost, and leave restored, erect, joyful, found.

Yes the lost shall be called “found”, those with no sense of direction shall find you, and then find themselves, and wonder how it was that they came to this place.

Psalms 107:1-8 O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary, And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the Red Sea in the south. Some wandered in the wilderness in a solitary desert track; they found no city for habitation. Hungry and thirsty, they fainted; their lives were near to being extinguished. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes. Oh, that men would praise and confess to the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

You feel the pain, you feel the burden, you feel weak and yet I have called you strong.

I’m calling you out in your weakness, like Lazarus your real strength shall come to the fore.

For the one who has endured much as received much hope.

For each trial, for each loss, you have gained hope. Pressed down, shaken together running over – overflow in hope!

Seriously man, get a grip, receive hope, take hold of hope, be strong in hope, possess hope, be established in hope, be dominant in hope.

Be upbeat, not beaten, be up not down, rise up and take up your position.

One against many, I declare this is not a fair fight.

I call it a bit one sided, one on one side and the multitudes upon the the other.

How is that they expect to win? For they are without hope, they are hopeless, they are the less because they have no hope, you are the more because you have hope.

They parade themselves, they show their true colours, but they are colourless, their identity diminished, their light dimmed.

For I have given you colour, I have married you to colour, I have wed you to colour.

Bring forth colour, parade colour, show off your colour, the coat of many colours, the bride of many colours.

Overwhelm them with colour. Use bold bright colours.

You hold darkness in your hands, and yet it is I that provide the light.

Arise and shine, for my glory is revealed upon you, brighter than the noon day.

For I have not forgotten your dream, it is I that create the conditions, it is I that creates the atmosphere, it is I that brings forth the sun.

You see it now don’t you, the sun rising across the lush country side after the storm has passed. The colour enhanced, the strong contrast of the sun against the receding dark clouds.

Where would you like to go today?