Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson

About Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson

Welcome to Drawing Closer To God with Wendy Robinson. Join Wendy each week as she shares her insights into drawing closer to God and living life to the full despite the tough challenges you might be facing. To find out more please visit drawingclosertogod.org

Publisher

Wendy Robinson

Category

religion & spirituality · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Jun 2018

Latest episode

6 Mar 2024

Latest episodes

100 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Mar 2024

   EP114 Speaking faith and life

   When did you last do an audit of the words you speak? Are you speaking “faith and life” or “fear and death”? Late last year we were facing another challenging medical situation with our daughter, Victoria. I found myself going down that path of fear. I was spending time with God, a lot actually due to a broken wrist slowing me down! In these times I was primarily looking for reassurance and comfort. I was not speaking faith into Victoria’s situation. Something changed in the Be Still moment But then something changed. During one of those quiet times with God, I was sitting on a seat in the park, asking Him for a word for our family for this year, 2024. Yes, another Be Still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10) moment. He drew my attention to an image that was directly in front of me - two rectangular sandstone blocks, with a narrow gap in between. Beyond the gap, the grass ran down to the wide open expanse of the lake. As I looked at this image, God gave me these words, “I am the Way Maker.” Don’t we all love the Way Maker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulFK2tv4GWQ) song "Way maker Miracle worker Promise keeper Light in the darkness My God That is who you are" What a powerful declaration of Who God is. God's Word speaks life God gave me three scriptures to go with the image: “This is what the LORD says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,” Isaiah 43:16 NIV “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 NIV “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NIV Three life-giving scriptures, asking of us, Do we have the faith to believe that God made a way through the sea? Do we trust that He is making a way in the wasteland? Do we have the courage to keep walking on the narrow road that leads to life? God in His graciousness had given me a way to speak faith and life into Victoria’s situation. God encourages each one A bit more on this story about the way maker word …. At the beginning of each year when I get a word for our family, I make an A4 poster, laminate it and give a copy to each family member, so they can have it ready on hand for encouragement throughout the year.  I'm under no illusion as to what has happened to these posters in the past - I've seen them peeking out from under a pile of papers on desks! But this year was different - perhaps because it had the photo of the sandstone blocks and the way through. This year some chose to put the poster on the wall above their desks, some on the wall near their beds. But all put it in a visible, easily accessible place. I need that extra bit of encouragement so I have two posters - one near my desk, and one near my side of the bed! The Way Maker makes a way Since the beginning of January, there have been at least 8 significant crossroads for people in our family, and each time, we have called on this word from God, declaring, “God you are the way maker, we are trusting that you will make a way through this - Your will be done, in Jesus Name.” God knew that each person in our family was going to need to speak ‘faith and life’ into situations this year, and that each would need His encouragement to do so. God always knows! In each circumstance God has clearly made a way, showing us that He is sovereign, powerful, gracious and kind. Often too in these situations, it has felt like God has been asking us these questions, Do you trust Me in this situation? Do you have the patience to wait? Will you humble yourself and acknowledge that I am Lord of All? Oh God so wants us to mature! Maturing in our faith James speaks to us about this maturing process, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 NIV I’m not always a fan of the maturing process, even though it always yields good fruit - I just have to remind myself of that. Joyce Meyer says, “The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, sacrifice and suffering. These are not popular words; nevertheless, if we are to be Christlike in character, we must sometimes go through difficult circumstances to learn His ways. I struggled with this process for a long time, but I finally realised that God was not going to do things my way. He placed people and situations in my life that caused me to want to quit this whole process, and He did not want an argument from me. He only wanted to hear, “Yes, Lord. Your will be done.”" The Everyday Life Bible, Joyce Meyer, Page 2060 It is only the beginning of March, so it is going to be very interesting to see what the remainder of the year brings with a word like “I am the Way Maker” The power of the tongue So getting back to the words we are speaking, are they “faith and life” or “fear and death”? Further on in James Chapter 3, we read about the power of the tongue. Verse 5 says, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze!” (James 3:5 AMPC) Funnily enough, I was listening to my husband doing his Sunday morning radio program on Rhema 99.7FM yesterday morning, and I heard him sharing on this scripture too. God must really want to say something about the power of the tongue this week. I know there are times when I have said things, mainly to my family, that I have regretted as soon as they have come out of my mouth. The tongue can spark a fire It's an interesting analogy that James draws with the tongue and the starting of a forest fire. I have certainly experienced the power of my tongue starting a war of words in our home, and it hasn’t been pretty. I have regretted the words as soon as they have come out, but like that spark in the forest - once it is out, it is very difficult to contain! Of course in hindsight, I know it definitely would have been better to leave the room, or at the very least take a long pause and count to 10 (or maybe 100)! Warren W. Wiersbe, in his commentary on James, Be Mature, Growing up in Christ, reminds us that Jesus experienced the wrath of the tongue, “Fire burns and hurts, and our words can burn and hurt. One of the sorrows our Lord had to bear when He was here on earth was the way His enemies talked about Him. They called Him a “man gluttonous and a winebibber” (Matthew 11:29) because He graciously accepted invitations to dine with people the Pharisee did not like. When He performed miracles, they said He was in league with Satan. Even when He was dying on the cross, His enemies could not let Him alone but threw vicious taunts into His face.” Be Mature - Growing up in Christ, Warren W. Wierbse, Page 102 Can we tame the tongue? So can we tame the tongue? Yes we can. But not by ourselves. We need God’s help. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can develop the fruit listed in Galatians. We can display that fruit through our speech and communications: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV Imagine if every word we spoke came from the place of love, loving Jesus and loving people, with our selfish desires nowhere to be seen (or heard!). Imagine if our words brought peace into a situation, rather than adding fuel to it. Imagine if the way we communicated was always from a place of forbearance, exuding patience and never with that, ‘Will you just hurry up’ tone. Imagine if we had self-control and chose not to speak on occasions and let the Holy Spirit bring conviction. The Holy Spirit can help us The good news is that with the help of the Holy Spirit, these things can become a reality in our lives. It probably won’t happen overnight (that certainly hasn’t been my experience), but rather little by little as we let the Holy Spirit do transformative work in our lives - the consecration process. Here are a couple of specific scriptures that have helped me in this area - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NKJV Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3 NIV I have found both these Psalms are wonderful prayers to pray regularly, especially before any tricky conversations. Are you speaking "faith and life"? So back to those two questions I started with, When did you last do an audit of the words you speak? Are you speaking “faith and life” or “fear and death”? If, in considering the answers to these questions, you feel the Holy Spirit is nudging you to make some changes, so you can speak more "faith and life" into your life or those around you, then let's pray and ask Him for that help. Holy Spirit, we thank you that you are a gift in our lives to help us become more like Jesus. Please help me to mature so that Your fruit, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, are very evident in my life, especially in the words I speak and how I communicate. Thank you that you will help me so that the words I speak will be acceptable to you. Thank you that you will put a guard over my mouth in those moments when I want to say something that is going to inflame a situation or hurt someone. Thank you for your graciousness towards me, and that you will continue to help me, even when I get it wrong. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen. Looking for more encouragement? Are you looking for more resources to help you draw closer to God, please check out my other blog posts and podcasts.

2. 

   27 Feb 2024

   EP113 Not enough time. I need help.

   Have you ever said to yourself, “There is not enough time to do all this.”?  I have and it's normally followed up with a huge sigh of exasperation! Then the Holy Spirit reminds me of something I heard a few years ago, “God will always give you enough time for what He wants you to do.” Press pause! Does that mean I am doing things that God doesn’t want me to do? Does that mean I am doing things differently from how He wants me to do them? Sounds like it is time to check in with God and find out. Getting direction from God Let's look at those questions again, firstly "Am I doing things that God doesn't want me to do?" Or it could be asked this way, "Am I going in the direction God has for me?" In Psalms, we read, “The steps of the God-pursuing ones follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord, and God delights in every step they take to follow him.” (Psalm 37:23 TPT). So when we have those thoughts of "There is not enough time" perhaps it is a good idea to pause and check in with God on the direction we are taking. Oh! there is again, that "Be Still and know that I am God" attitude. Maybe a prayer like, "God, am I doing what you want me to do? Am I following the path you have for me? Please show me if I have gone off track and am doing things that are outside your will for my life." Jesus is a wonderful example of only doing what His Father, God, our Heavenly Father, told him to do. In the Gospel of John we read that Jesus said, "I do what my father tells me to do. I do that so that the people of this world can know that I love my father.” (John 14:31 PEV) An aside: Jesus had complete clarity about why He was being obedient to His Father, "so that people of this world can know that I love my father."  The Passion Translation says it this way, "I am doing exactly what the Father destined for me to accomplish, so that the world will discover how much I love my Father." (John 14:31 TPT) So a question for us - "Do we have that level of clarity about the motives of our actions?" Right direction, but not sure on the "how" Perhaps the answer is "Yes," we have clarity on our motives. We are confident we're being obedient to God and going in the direction He is leading us. However, we are still feeling overwhelmed with all that has to be done, "There is not enough time to do all this!" So then we need to look at the "how" and ask the question, "Am I doing things God's way?" We have the direction, but we need more of God's wisdom on how to take each step. In the book of Proverbs we read, "A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life]. But the LORD directs his steps and establishes them." (Proverbs 16:9 AMP). We know there are often many ways to get to the end goal, but not all are efficient, and not all are the ways God wants it done.  We need to remind ourselves that God’s ways are higher, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV) God's ways are higher - always - not just sometimes. God knows the bigger picture. God has the bigger picture We don’t even know what will happen later today, or tomorrow, or next year. Receiving a ‘surprise’ medical report or receiving an unexpected promotion at work, reminds us of that. James 4:13-15 tells us, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 NIV) And so it is with the plans we make, we might have some ideas on the outcomes, but we don’t know for sure. But God knows. Ask God for wisdom So getting back to the question, "Am I doing things God's way?" James also tells us we can ask for God's wisdom and He will give it to us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault; and it will be given to you." (James 1:5 NIV) We need to ask God for His wisdom on the "how." Recently my days have been very full, and I have been asking God each morning to order the tasks I have on the list. I knew my plan wouldn't be the best for me or my family, but I had confidence in God, that He has the bigger picture and He would fit it all together perfectly. And He has - leaving me very surprised at the end of the day with what had been achieved. Thank you God - your ways are astronomically higher than mine! God's plan vs AI Interestingly, last week I was talking to someone about the busy-ness of the week. During the conversation I asked her if the Holy Spirit brought me to her mind, could she please pray for me, that I would clearly hear from God on what tasks to do each day. She agreed and then told me about electronic calendars now using AI to order people’s schedules. I don’t know about you, but I would much prefer to trust God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, to order my day, rather than a man-made algorithm. As we read in James 4, God alone knows what the day will bring, and what tomorrow will bring, and how we need to prepare for it. Pride and casting our cares on Jesus So why is it sometimes that we don't go to God to get His wisdom, but rather we press on, doing things our own way and often ending up in a pickle? For me the answer is simple, Pride! I take pride in being independent, knowing the best course of action, not having to ask anyone for help. Yes, I know - plenty to repent of in that list! God has been helping me in these areas for the past 30 years, gently, and sometimes not so gently, showing me that I need to be totally dependent on Him. When are feeling overwhelmed we always have the option of pausing, acknowledging God, yes, there it is again, "Be still and know that I am God." and asking for His help. We can give all of our cares to Him as it says in 1 Peter 4, “Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (1 Peter 4:6-7 AMPC) Humility is key Humility is a key here, because it is us saying that we can't do this alone. We don't have what it takes. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Humility as, "freedom from pride or arrogance: the quality or state of being humble." (Merriam-Webster) I recently read this about humility in one of John Maxwell's books, "What is humility? My friend Rick Warren says, "Humility is not denying your strengths. Humility is being honest about your weaknesses. All of us are a bundle of both great strengths and great weaknesses and humility is being able to be honest about both." My belief is that humility is a choice every day to give credit to God for our blessings and to other people for our successes." (Good Leaders ask Great Questions, John Maxwell, page 33). Humility gives us freedom. As we acknowledge that we need God's help, we take the pressure off ourselves. A matter of trust We don't need to have all the answers anymore, rather we trust God and His wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-7 says, "Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions, with all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Don't think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion. and avoid everything that's wrong." (Proverbs 3:5-7 TPT). So today, let's choose to trust that God has the perfect plan for our lives. Let's choose to trust that when we ask Him, He will give us the steps to follow His path.  And trust that He will always give us enough time to do what He wants us to do. Looking for more encouragement? Are you looking for more resources to help you draw closer to God, please check out my other blog posts and podcasts. (https://drawingclosertogod.org/podcasts/)

3. 

   13 Feb 2024

   EP112 Providing the full protection

   Saturday morning was damp and humid, perfect mosquito conditions. Sometimes walking in this place can feel like mosquito feeding time! However, this morning I realised no mosquito had come near me. My thoughts moved to the insect repellent I had put on before walking. I have two types of repellent I use, a spray from one brand, and a roll-on from a different brand. Today I applied the roll-on and it was definitely providing the full protection and I was grateful. God's protection Oh, my brain suddenly started going off, thinking about all the parallels between putting on the protection against mosquitos and putting on the protection God gives us to keep us safe from the enemy in the spiritual battles we face each day. Ephesians 6 is one of the chapters in the Bible where the Apostle Paul gives us some very clear directions about putting on the armour of God. He says, “Put on God’s whole armour [the armour of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 AMPC Is the protection effective? The armour that God supplies is the best! No questions there. But with the mosquito repellent, from my revelation on Saturday, I know that there are different levels of protection. I wonder if it is the application method (ie roll-on vs spray) or the repellent content that makes the difference? or both? Perhaps I might have to do a test on that! But in the interim, I will make sure that I am prepared and have the roll-on repellent with me for future walks. Protection preparation So that brings up another question, how prepared are we when it comes to protection on our spiritual walk? How many times have you heard someone say "we are in a spiritual battle"? What does that mean to you? The Apostle Paul explains about the spiritual battle, “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly [supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:12 AMPC The spiritual battle is real Just as mosquitos and the impact of their bite is very real, so are the spiritual enemies of God. This week someone shared with me about a dream they had where a demon came into their room and said “I am real”. This person’s response was to go to God’s word and seek after the truth. The truth in God's word is one of the pieces of armour God has given us - “the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). We need to know about the spiritual armour we have access to and be daily putting it on.  Joyce Meyer says, “It is important for us to see that we cannot fight darkness with darkness. I believe the best way to resist and overcome our powerful spiritual enemy is not by venting our anger and frustration in some fleshly manner. Rather, we need to put on our spiritual armour as described in Ephesians 6:13-17 and yield ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within us as we pray (see Ephesians 6:18).” The Everyday Bible - Joyce Meyer, p1945 Gaps in the protection lead to distraction Sometimes I am in a hurry to get going on my walk. I forget to apply the repellent to my neck. When I have my hair up the back of my neck can be vulnerable to mosquito bites. I can hear them buzzing around my neck and I spend my walk continually shooing and slapping them away. They become a distraction, impacting on the purpose of my walk, which often is to have conversations with God - talking and lots of listening. And so too it can be for us if we are not putting on the full armour of God daily. Each part of God’s armour has its purpose. We don’t want any chinks in the armour where the enemy can come in and distract us. The Message Bible says, “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way prayer is essential for ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Ephesians 6:13-18 The Message We are called to pray for one another, as each one of us is in this spiritual battle - some days it is just more evident than others. The Passion Translation says, “Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.” Ephesians 6:18 The Passion Translation. The indispensable weapon A final word about God’s Word, the indispensable weapon. One of the first books I bought when I became a Christian, aside from a New King James Bible, was The Spiritual Warrior’s Prayer Guide by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock. It helped me to understand the spiritual battle we are in and the armour God has given us. They say, “The only piece of the spiritual warrior’s armour which is both offensive and defensive is named last on Paul’s list: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). William Gurnal aptly describes this piece of armour: “the sword is the weapon continually used by soldiers to defend themselves and to rout their enemies. Thus it illustrates the most excellent use of God’s Word, by which the believer both defends himself and cuts down his enemies.” The Spiritual Warrior’s Prayer Guide - Using God’s Word in prayer and spiritual warfare; Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock p41. Build up your storehouse of scripture So I encourage you to build up your storehouse of scripture. Meditate on it day and night. Ask God for Scriptures and Rhema words you can wield into the atmosphere. They both protect and attack - reminding the enemy of the authority you have in Jesus Name. They are God-breathed words that build faith as you declare them over yourself, your family, your community and nation. One of the scriptures I regularly declare over our family is: “No weapon formed against you (any member of our family) shall prosper” Isaiah 54:17 NIV We live in a spiritual world, so let's not be naive and apathetic, but rather be equipped and prepared for each day, putting on the full protection that God has given us.  So we can do all God has called us to do without distraction! To hear more encouragement from Wendy visit https://drawingclosertogod.org/podcasts

Contact Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.