Yesterday I drove up the bumpy dirt road from my house to the highway singing my heart out to God, the wheels of my thoughts still turning from the time I’d had with Him earlier that morning. My soul felt alive. My eyes, wide awake. I pulled out onto the main road and wound my way to work, passing all the familiar scenes. Farms and pastures gave way to schools and businesses and, with every mile, I grew more preoccupied with one glorious wonder: God’s willingness to do that thing that He does again and again. Moved that, after umpteen million ups and downs, God is still willing to move me.
I love that God is a God of again. I’ll get dry and think the bloom is behind me and that the best I’ll be able to do is maintain and try not to lose what I have left. Then I’ll be scared it’s all gone and never coming back.
And here He’ll come again. The Scriptures will jump back to life for me like breathing bones. The Cross will suddenly feel to me like it all happened yesterday and like I was right there in the gore and grandeur and grace of it all. I’ll feel alive with belovedness and anxious to love. Awake with forgivenness and anxious to forgive. I’ll feel called and sent and ready to go. The reverberating power of the empty tomb will fill my soul again and I’ll try my hardest to roll that stone back over the entrance and trap Him in. Then, like Mary Magdalene, I’ll throw my arms around His neck and try to hold onto Him right there where He appears most obvious to me. I want Jesus to stay put. I want it in the worst way. But then…
The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8
Try as you may, you can’t catch the Holy Spirit like a firefly and keep Him in a jar.
Of course Jesus never leaves us. We are sealed.
He abides. He remains.
His presence is a fact, not a feeling. But those moments when He’s willing to make Himself known are without equal, I think, in the human experience. The next day comes and its demands and distractions with it. I read and not much happens. I pray and not much moves.
But sooner than later, His fullness comes again. His shadow will pass nearby through some kindness, some revelation, some word on that sacred page – and maybe not even to me but to someone I love – and my heart will light up again. Or tears will well in my eyes. Not just tears of sentiment, though they are a gift and have their place, but eyes pooled with the Spirit. Enlightened with fresh hope.
Only God can keep doing that again. He alone can quicken our souls like that. He is the initiator. He who brought it, brings it back. He who did it, does it again.
What patience.
What love.
What resistance to boredom.
What willingness to risk that faithfulness could be misinterpreted to its receivers as routine.
Abide with me just a moment in the wonder of this: God is willing to awaken our sleepy, sluggish, selfish, sinful souls over and over again.
I’m not new to so much of this. I was in the church nursery by a few weeks old. I’ve heard ten thousand sermons and read nearly as many books. I’ve heard the sound of my own teaching until I thought that if I heard another word from this mouth, I’d have to punch myself and I’ve wondered how God couldn’t be sick of me, too. This has been my life between and within the train wrecks. I’m not new to Jesus. I’m not full of surprises to Him. I’m not new on the docket. But in His unfathomable and tender mercy, He keeps making Himself new to me.
That’s what takes my breath away today.
And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. Judges 13:9
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 1 Samuel 3:8
And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. 1 Samuel 3:21
And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 1 Kings 17:22
And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 1 Kings 19:7
He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. 2 Chronicles 33:13
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” John 20:21
Again.
Blessed, beautiful, merciful, divine again.
So I write today for someone with a heart for Jesus who wonders how she’s going to keep it. And, if she can’t, how she can get it back again. Someone whose life, marriage, health, home, sanity, job or ministry depends on it. You’re the one I want to talk to today. I’ve been you. I’m still you.
He who chose you before creation, authored your faith, and birthed new life in you through His Spirit will see to your reawakening again and again. Not in your timing but in His. Not with your methods but with His. He alone ignites, sustains, and reignites holy fire. The fire is in His palm. It is not of your making. It is not yours to manufacture.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do when all is cold and ashes.
When you’re parched, tell Him you are. When your eyes are dim to wonder, tell Him you cannot see. When you’re getting bored, have the courage to say it. When you think you’ve heard it all, tell Him your heart is lying to you, for in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. When you get sick of yourself, plead to see in the mirror what He sees in you. When you get sick of somebody else, hold your frozen heart straight up to the heat of His holiness.
When nothing moves you, move to the floor. Tell Him you’ve got to have Him teeming with life in your bones. Beckon Him and welcome Him over and over to pour His Spirit on you. And He’ll do it again. In His own time and His own way but, make no mistake. He will do it again. Even when we’re the ones who ran off the fullness of His Spirit.
But the hair of [Samson’s] head began to grow again after it had been shaved. Judges 16:22
Praise God.
Even when your body lays lifeless on your deathbed, He will do it again. He will stand you on your feet in His presence.
God cannot seem to resist an opportunity to resurrect.
You don’t have to accept the waning of wonder as the natural evolution of a long-term relationship. Accept it as a visitor but refuse it as a resident. And, when it visits, don’t waste all your energy ranting and writhing and despising it. The floor in the banquet hall of revival is always made of sand. This has been one of the hardest lessons for me to learn. A garden blooming is not a miracle. A desert blooming, now that’s the miracle.
It takes a certain amount of lifelessness to know what it means to be revived.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Psalm 43:5
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This was just what I needed!
So thankful that our God is a God of Agains. Thankful to you for sharing your heart.
Ah, yes Beth! Thank you for this Saturday morning whisper of hope! Set apart and blessed weekend to you 🙂
God Bless you, Beth and your open honest ability to let God speak eloquently through you!
First time I have talked about this……
About 2 years ago my doctor put me on anti-depressants, after debilitating depression/anxiety. (It’s really hard for me to say that, so many people have opinions and judgments about this sort of thing.) They have been extremely helpful to me; however, one of the drawbacks is the “wrapped in cotton wool” experience….meaning, things just don’t get to me like they used to. Sometimes even God doesn’t touch my heart like He used to. I’ve been tempted to get off the meds, but my husband, my doctor and my family disagree (I was really bad. They were scared for me, obviously)
I prayed and prayed for help during my darkest days. Then my doctor gave me this prescription, and at first I wouldn’t take them because I thought they were a cop-out. So I continued to pray, and then God said “You asked Me, and I gave you some help, so why won’t you take it?” So I did.
I began to feel better. Sooooo much better. My mind quieted, the strong temptations of suicide subsided, I could see and think clearly.
But I began to lose my sense of the Lord’s presence. I began to be distracted by all kinds of activities. I began to wonder where Jesus went……..it’s like my heart became dulled, either by the distractions or the drugs, but nevertheless, dull.
Your post this morning has really touched me. The miracle would be to see His garden bloom in this desert of my heart (wow, my mind is still chewing on that thought)
Thank you so much, dear Beth. Once again, God has used you mightily in my life.
Only the God of the Universe could have known how much I needed to hear this today. Thank you, Beth, for your vulnerability to share your inmost thoughts and how God is at work in your life.
I am so glad that He is the God of again. He comes back to us again and again with His love, His instruction, His encouragement, His direction…His WORD.
“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time:” -Jonah 3:1
I’m two weeks out from the Living Proof Live in Spokane. Still reeling from all God spoke to me. I feel like after so many years of being in “paid ministry” where it was very clear where I was to use my talents, I’m not sure what God wants to do with my husband’s and my talents here in our little valley. Oh but He is faithful. He will reveal His plans to us once again as He has done in the past.
Thank you for this reminder.
Praying for you and the staff as you prepare for the Stockton, CA Living Proof Live event and for all who will attend to receive what God has in store for them!
Tears. Had to read it AGAIN. Had to print it and save it. Been struggling mightily with this, wondering if the best has already been and if I’ll ever make it back to the intimacy and intensity of what I once had.
So dry. So weary.
Praying, pleading face down on the floor for the Lord to give me the “want to” again. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. Yesterday on the way to work, started knocking on the space over my heart, begging Him to open this again. Thank you.
Can’t wait to see you next week in Stockton – again.
Jenni
Beth, tears are filling my eyes as I finished reading this post. This has to be among the best God inspired post you have ever written. God assigned you the task just for me to see, or at least it feels that way – if you only knew. I needed it so badly that I can’t stop rereading and trying to absorb the lesson. Thank you, and most of all, thank You Holy Spirit for inspiring Beth to write these words.
Amen
Just listened last week to a message you shared on Life Today several years ago. I think it was in Pressing Past Our Fears where you mentioned the God of again. I saw the title and thought, whoa!
Amen Beth! Oftentimes we walk looking for the God, wondering why He isn’t doing anything we can see or feel… But He is there, always there, painting a beautiful picture on the other side of the canvas. Our hearts are the paint, sometimes drying up and needing to be refreshed, and the Master will again fill the palate, our well, when it is time.
I have been so blessed by your ministry. Thank you for your heart and your willingness to share so profoundly with us. And I have a special thank you because I’ve been loved on twice today via my sweet Texan sistas – your post, and a call from my oldest, dearest BFF from Austin! We saw you in Lubbock a couple years back. This California girl is feelin’ Texas-size love right now!
Can’t wait to see you and what the Holy Spirit has lined up next week in Stockton! I know He will show up AGAIN!
Love you, may God bless you and keep you and smile upon you today, and again and again!
Thank you, Beth! What a great reminder of just how much our Father loves us. When you mentioned Samson and his hair starting to grow again, almost instantly, the tears began to flow. What a beautiful picture of His amazing love for us. Thank you, again!!
Precious Beth,
Your words have rocked my world again! Again and Again.
We are in the midst of making a lifestyle change – keeping our gracious Lord in the smack of middle of it each and every day – and see Him walking every step with us.
I have loved you for years, completed all of your Bible studies (thanks to my wonderful church), and this is where you now come in big time with your ministry. I have never participated in a one of LPM’s summer Bible studies.
Until now.
My Tuesday group will start COTD in late summer. We are leaving Florida for the Virginia mountains on June 7th. Yikes! I was so upset about missing COTD.
Well, God had other plans. Next thing I knew, I discovered (because I follow your blog), that you are doing COTD for the summer study.
I went promptly to my Christian bookstore, purchased my book, and now I’m ready for June 3rd. Our movers will be at my house on June 5th but I’m not worried a bit.
Oh, how God uses you in so many thousands of ways in women’s lives all over the planet. Even your dry times just means that God will speak wonderful words TO US through YOU.
Thank you, Beth Moore, as always, for being real, for being one of us, and most of all, for loving Jesus more than life!
As you always say, “a prayer won’t be wasted” on us as we make this move to Virginia. We are excited and looking forward to what God has waiting for us there!
It always seems to me as if the Holy Spirit stands beside Beth when she writes. He looks over her shoulder and says, “Exactly!”
Sorry, forgot to add that when I bought my COTD workbook, the lady who checked me out did not realize that you were doing a summer study so she had a fit! She had been wanting to do one together with her daughters – who live in different states – so I was able to give her ALL of the information about your summer study, the date, time, etc., etc. She didn’t even know your blog address so she was thrilled to get that. We were practically old friends before I left!
See what I mean? Your ministry just goes on and on and on and on……again and again…….God is so good! Again!!
So glad you’re back to the blog, Beth!
And thanks for this post. It’s about me too.
You paint in words what my soul and spirit feel. I am waiting with excitement and expectation to see what Jesus has planned for me now. I just stepped down as Women’s Ministry Leader. I feel no reluctance, only peace, in doing so because I am sure He has a new plan for me. I just can’t wait to find out what it is. I feel like a kid at Christmas.
Wow, this was amazing. I was whining to God today about my health and when is He going to manifest His healing in my body and I also have my 2 year old grand-daughter with me today and was teaching her to say AGAIN….what a perfect word of encouragement for me today!
Oh how I needed this! I feel lifeless because of physical health, and when I have no physical energy, it is hard to have spiritual and emotional energy. I know He is with me and in me, but as you said, feeling His presence is what I desperately need when I’m like this. And knowing I’m not the only one who gets so dry and disinterested. I love Him and I love His word, but at times, I have little to no desire to make the effort to reach out to Him and receive what He has for me. Thank you!!!! And thanks to our incomparable God who loves us so!!!
And a P. S. Reading these posts from my precious sisters has me in a puddle of tears. My prayer partner of 30 years just called and I could hardly answer the phone. I am a cry-er too, and as I’m reading these precious words, I’m also listening to a Bill Gaither video, which also usually makes me cry so I am a real mess!!! But it’s a good, God-blessed mess. Thank you Beth, you are so precious to me, to us.
Thank you for these words of truth.
thank you
Such encouraging words!! His mercies ARE new EVERY morning!
Patti, Clemmons, NC
Great word, Beth. Thank you.
Thank you for this reminder today. I was just praying about my idleness in my walk this morning and these very things of lifelessness. Thank you Father for speaking to me through this post today and reminding me that an “again” is coming.
I love this post! I have not ever thought of all the agains of God! I complain about having to again… but not God.
Thank you for listening to Him and shsring with us.
I love & worship the God of again! I am a story teller, taking the stories of the Bible and giving the Biblical characters a background of experiences to finally meet Jesus as it is recorded in the Bible. Over and over God gives me the theme line of a story. It had been months since He had spoken to me, and one morning I was reading The Good Samaritan story, and He said to me so clearly,”Never be too busy.” There was my new story! He did it again! We praise God that you are “Never too Busy!” to minister to us, again & again!
My comment could be as long as your post! But, the point: thank you, oh, thank you for sharing your struggle with being parched. It gives me hope. I always feel something must be wrong with me when I have these seasons of dryness. But beginning to learn sometimes He withdraws (though He’s always mine. & I am His) so I will seek Him more & draw nearer. I hate how this life has to hurt—so very much—but thankful our Father is the God of again! Oh, I long for THAT day! The last tear He will ever wipe from our eyes! Thank you, sweet “friend”! (We are BFFs, you know. 🙂 Lol!) Pressing on until that day….
This was a balm to my soul today Beth! I am a pastors wife, a mom to 6 beautiful children ages 4-14, and have been paralyzed now for 5 years.
When I became paralyzed, Jesus showed Himself to me in ways I had never ever seen….and we had given our lives to the ministry! I know that in my darkest hour, He showed me Himself because that was the only view that got me through every single day.
Now life is a new normal, and I find myself becoming complacent and lazy at times! I desire for the “again”. Thank you so much for this post. If for no one else, it was just for me.
God bless you!!
His faithfulness blows me away! You absolutely summed up my relationship Christ. Again and yet again he pours out his goodness to us! Thanks Beth!
Thank you Beth; For returning us to Him, and reminding us of how wonderful He is. Our family is struggling, with depression and addiction, and the loss of a child. You are such a blessing, as you always know what to say. God is using you in such a powerful way. Thank you, from a sister (who was there in Hershey PA) and a fellow believer (as we all know He is the reason)….. thank you.
Thank you so much for continuing to encourage your sisters and brothers in Christ as His Spirit leads you. God bless you, sweet Sister.
Thank you so much for these words. They couldn’t have spoken any more into my season. Just today I found myself down the road of wondering WHEN I’ll feel that wonder again. When I’ll feel the connection. As you say, in His timing. I will cling to his promises believing there will be fruit in my disciplines even when I see nothing. I will not lose HOPE that he will move and I will feel revived again!
Thank you, Beth! I needed this word in the worst way.
Yes, I am thankful God is there to renew our hearts and touch our lives. Thank you for this post.
There’s a song that sings His praises
There’s a prayer that answers His call
There’s a place that worships His name.
And when the storms of life rumble,
And the winds of life cry out
His hands are reaching for me
I see His face next to mine,
And I know He is waiting,
right there anticipating,
knowing I am searching
all the while His Hope will be found.
There’s a rainbow after the storm,
There’s a mountain after the valley,
There’s a rest after the struggle
And when the life is over,
And the fight has all gone
His hands will be reaching for me
I will see His face next to mine,
And I know He is waiting,
right there anticipating,
knowing I am searching
all the while His Hope will be found.~joyce
When the music stops playing,
and the children stop laughing.
When the wind stops blowing,
and the whisper in the room dies,
When the carousel stops turning,
and the dream turns to dust.
Where will you be?
Looking for a new song,
Trusting as a little child,
Listening for the Holy Spirit,
Praying quietly at your beside,
Holding on to God has He leads,
Trusting in Him and not a dream.
Where will you be?
Be at peace,
Be still,
Be not afraid,
Be covered in His love.~joyce
Oh, my soul, Beth. I needed to read those words tonight. He spoke straight to me through them. Thank you for listening to His voice and thank you for sharing your heart. This dry and thirsty heart so needed that refreshing today.
Amen, you said it so well.
Thank you so very much Jesus and thank you so very much Beth.
Couldn’t help but soul-sing this after reading this post…
Thou changest not,
Thy compassions, they fail not,
As thou hast been,
Thou forever wilt be!!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Thank you for this awesome reminder!
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul. Oh My Father, bless my soul, and revive me…for the glory of your Name…again.
umm… WORD. Thank you for this. Blessings
this is so timely. I’ve been struggling with all that you’ve touched on Beth. Thank you so much for your encouraging words. I look fwd. to opening up your emails to encourage me….woman to woman! God Bless you
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come AGAIN, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John 14:3
Thank you…just thank you! Lynne
An uplifting and encouraging message, after talking with my husband who has been in serving in some capacity in ministry on and off for most of his life. He said he was just tired this weekend. Not really sure why but just tired of service. I know God has grand plans for us and that He will bring us through anything. Praying for my husband and for our current church (which is currently dying) and the members within. We will continue to love on our youth and the families of those God has given us until he tells us it is time to move. Currently God has told us to stay.
Thank you ever so much for you messages. Always uplifting and inspiring.
Yes! A million times, yes! So thankful for those “agains”.
Much love,
Adrienne
Amen! This is just confirmation of what the Holy Spirit is saying — Hosea 10:12 Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
Thank you so very much for this timely (God’s timing)encouragement. I’ve been in a dry season for awhile. I long to be revived again, and at the same time, I feel too weary to be revived. So many things that I have read this morning resonate with the same thing. God can do this for me, and He will revive me again. Thank you again.
YES!!!!!
Beautiful. I am so thankful God is a God of “again” as well. He can still take my breath away. Still overwhelm my heart with His goodness.
I just want to tell you that this is exactly what I needed this morning. I am in the process of getting divorced and it took a lot of prayer and time with God to make the decision to begin with. Then when I go separated I just let my relationship with God take a back burner as I got associated with my new life. I am seeing now how that decision has cost me greatly. I have been thinking about this a lot, and it is amazing how God places things in front of us to grab our attention and say hey. I am here for you, and you need to come back to me.
Thank you so much for sharing your words and helping me see the light. Praise God for you! Thank you so much! And thank you Lord God for showing me the way back to you!