The Invitation
I was asked to speak at a women’s conference in Dallas, Texas. I happily accepted the invitation, knowing the Lord would give me the words to speak, the scripture to reference, and His heart for the women. As I sought the Lord about what to say, He gave me nothing except peace that He “had it.” About six weeks before the conference, I was asked by the conference director to provide questions for a breakout session that would follow my session.
The Planning
None of these things were out of the ordinary. For planning purposes, conference directors, worship leaders, and group leaders need answers to their questions. As I, again, inquired of the Lord, He spoke three words… “In the beginning.” I asked Him for breakout questions, and He provided questions. As the days leading up to the conference inched closer, I sensed the Lord leading me to study these three words, “in the beginning.” I sensed that within these three words was the message for the women.
The Preparation
I found three amazing verses in the Bible that start with “in the beginning.” Do any of these resonate with you? Genesis 1:1, John 1:1, Hebrews 1:10. The Lord spoke into my heart,
“I DO MY BEST WORK IN THE DARK.”
Think about it. Before the world was filled, it was dark. And God said … and it was so.
When God speaks, everything changes!
Light forms in the darkness and our minds are open to new revelations!
His words have creative energy!
My Friday night session of the conference was to help women see how, even in the gray and darkness of life, God is there – working, speaking, orchestrating, healing, going before us to prepare the way – and though we do not have to enjoy the process, we can embrace it, knowing He is with us, and He is working behind the scenes. We talk to Him, we listen for His voice, and we obey the directive He gives us – He is the best companion in our darkness, and He is the greatest guide to bring us back into the light. He can write the “in the beginning” phase of each chapter of our lives. He can even go back to the beginning of previous chapters and show us how He brought beauty through things we thought brought death! Yes, He is that amazing!
The Presentation
Thankful for these revelations and bullet points from God, I knew He would fill in the gaps between the brief outline and the 40 minutes I was given to speak. And He did. As soon as my feet hit the stage, my mind went blank. In my early years of speaking, this phenomenon caused me anxiety and I would fumble through my notes to try to remember what I planned to say. In my experienced and more mature years of allowing Him to speak through me, I have found great peace in knowing He will give me exactly the words He needs me to speak – because these are His women and He alone knows their hearts, their needs, their secret desires and wishes. He alone knows how to speak into the hearts of His children.
After standing on stage for a few seconds with a completely empty mind, He began to pour His words into my spirit, and they flowed through my lips into the hearts of these women. These were not my words; they were His words. And we know that when HE speaks, things change. When HE speaks, everything changes.
The Revelations
There was life change at that weekend conference in Dallas, Texas. The spirit moved through each speaker, the worship leader, the group leaders, and through everyone in attendance. He was there, massaging the hearts of the broken, speaking wisdom into the hearts of the seeking, holding the hearts of the hurting, and using me and His other vessels to pour His love into a room of women who came seeking Him. He promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him. He never forgets that promise and is faithful to answer it – every single time.
The Challenge
Are you looking for more in life? Are you seeking the best that life has to offer? He is your answer. Come to Him. Start your new beginning – a new life in Him. A life where your faith is stretched, your beliefs are tested, and you learn to abide in Him. A season to begin living in full color! Listen for His voice, step out of your comfort zone and give Him a chance.
Take that step of faith and do the thing He has been speaking into your heart for so long. Just do it — and see how He shows up to create new life through your obedience. He will never fail you – it’s not in His personality, His character, His drive! He is love and He wants the very best for your created life. Remember, He does His best work in the dark and when He speaks, everything changes! Believe!
