Tag Archives: Bill Cloud
Listen To Yahweh
7000
(#110 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“But the Mighty One replied to him, ‘I have reserved for Myself, seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal (the Lord; ego).’” (Romans 11:4)
Oh My child, what do you think I meant when I said, “I have reserved?” Does this mean I actually have seven thousand who do My will perfectly, or is it that there are seven thousand I perfect? Yes, I know you. There is a big difference between My hand doing it and it being done by the hand of man. Remember I said that it was, “not by might nor by power” of the carnally minded, which should have given you illumination into My predestined plans. But, it is “by My Spirit!” (Zechariah 4:6)
Many of My children fight Me on this pattern, this principle. It is a losing battle indeed. How they long to believe their own decisions would lead them to perfection. Have I not told you, “There is none righteous?” (Psalm 53:3) Give Me your ears (understanding) and your eyes (perceptions) My child. My pattern, an everlasting pattern, is one that reveals My Sovereignty. How long will you compete with My glory? How long will you trust in your chariots (personal ideas and self-reliance) and horses (personal power)? Have I not told you, “The battle is mine?” (1 Samuel 17:47) Your job, My child, is to hand the battles to Me. Detect the problem and hand it to Me; then leave it with Me!
Yes My child; it sounds so easy. Yet, you fight Me on it at every turn. The real battle I want you to fight is the one warring internally. Your choice is to follow your flesh or My Spirit (Romans 8:9). The power I have given you is the power to root out all that is not of Me and hand it over. I am your Father; I will protect you. I remove nations (constructs of thought processes) for My children. I root out and destroy all that burdens you. All I ask is that you not attempt to steal My glory. I won’t let you anyway, and all it will cause is the necessity that I chasten you. These patterns are Mine! Now, go ahead and submit and find the path to the life I have for you. What do you have that was not received from Me anyway? Give in; I’m waiting.
Divine Discipline
Bound and Released
(#108 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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For Yahweh has bound all men over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on many. (Romans 11:32)
Yes My child, this is how I left you, shackled and bound. I cannot release you until you fully understand where you are. Only a prisoner truly rejoices in freedom. Only a prisoner understands his limitations. Confess to Me. Tell me you understand that you start in prison and move on from there. Tell Me that you perceive your complete inability to break the chains on your own, at all! And may I remind you that these chains are of your own doing, the works of your own hands (mental grasping) and heart (center of intellect).
In order for Me to truly set you free, you must see your prison. You must understand prison was a choice you made and would continually make, apart from My mercy. Your heart will only ever confine you.
Rejoice, for My mercy has overcome your judgment of death. My mercy removes the shackles. My mercy puts a new song in your heart. From the pit (self-reliant thoughts) to the palace (unity of heavenly thoughts), I will bring you. I will then release you to do My will on the earth. You will operate in obedience and you will come to love My plan for you.
Yes, this is another pattern, an unshakeable pattern. You confess your lack; I bring My power and provision. You will never be able to conquer on your own. On your own, your choice is to gratify “self.” Yes, just like Adam, you will always disobey. Yes, on your own you only gratify yourself. Tell Me you see the bars that surround you. Tell Me you can hear the shackles that bind you. Only then can we begin the work. I have an eager expectation for you. Now let’s go!
Trust and Faith
Not “Over” but “Through”
(#107 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Do you really want victory, true victory, the kind of victory that not only affects your entire being, but nations as well? Are you sure? Listen to Me closely then. If you really want true victory, never again ask Me to remove you from the sorrow and conflict that comes with valley experiences. You may hope for a better day but not at the cost of devaluing the purpose of today (Matthew 6:34).
Give Me your eyes (perceptive abilities) My child; give Me your soul. I speak to the Spirit that I placed within you (Romans 8:11). It is in the desperate moments, the valleys, that our best work is done. I require praise and gratitude, not prayers of the destitute. This is one of My dearest patterns: Do not ask Me to remove you from the valley; instead obey Me and rejoice while you are in it (Psalm 107:21-22)! Has My Son not overcome the world (John 16:33)? Have I not, through Him, given you the same authority (Titus 2:15)?
Let the beauty of this wisdom reign in your mind (heart). A child that can praise and worship in the most painful moments of life, is a child who has overcome the world. Will you believe Me if I tell you that most of your inner turmoil is caused by exterior things? I teach you to win by the Spirit; victory is in the Spirit. Of course it seems difficult if you are carnally minded. My plan leaves room to rejoice in the Spirit and the flesh, but you cannot change the protocol. I will not change My pattern. It is already perfect! I do not lift you over the situation; I guide you through it, and I give you the power to do so with praise, awe, and wonder. Does it seem impossible? Good! May I now take over and do it for you? You praise, I conquer! You give sacrifices of thankfulness; I make straight paths for your feet. It is all for your good. Thank you for understanding My loved one; I will always offer you more faith if you ask (Mark 9:24).
This is the day Yahweh has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
Why Did God Allow the Coronavirus?
Why Did God Allow the Coronavirus?
Bitterness vs. Forgiveness
To Whom It Concerns
(#105 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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If you want me to suffer, suffer I have. If you want remorse, you have it. If you want me gone, I will leave. If you want me to be erased from your mind, time will do so. If you desire pain upon me, I have felt its touch.
And for you:
If you ever suffer, I will be there for you. If you ever have remorse, I will remind you that repentance is good. If others cast you away, I will take you in. If no one thinks of you, I will call you often. When you lose, I will help you regain. When pain comes, I will pray for your comfort, and that you may embrace the renewal.
I will always remember you, for I am you. I will always forgive, always hope, and I will always extend my love to you. You said we were brothers, a brother I will be.
And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the scum of all things until now. (1 Corinthians 4:12-13)
New In Yeshua
What Do You Do?
(#104 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Reality, true reality, exists only where there is no human intervention. It exists between you and your Maker in the crucible of the refiner’s fire (judgment for every thought you think). Everything in you is exposed and laid bare. He enters by force, illuminating every crevice of your heart (mind). Every action, every word, every deed, and all your “secret motivations” are uncovered. There will be no waiting. You stand face-to-face with Him now!
Your emotions: naked, ashamed, remorseful, alone and bare. You wonder what’s left. You know, deep down, there’s no going back. When He exposes you, He lets others know. Directly or indirectly, others know. There is no more hiding the real you. At this point, it matters not if others know. You see it! Whatever was removed was not of Him; and so much has been removed, so little seems left. In truth, what is left is pure and holy; what is left is the “real you.”
You can’t run from it! Stripped bare, only what is of Him remains. You spent all those years running and hiding, and in an instant the lies are revealed. The weakness, the rebellion, the insecurity, and the fear, are all on display. Everyone can see what you believed in the past, because who you had become was the result. Now, look what’s left; there’s not much. What has been removed is now on display for all to see by virtue of what remains in the new creature left behind.
It is because of “Messiah in you” that you have hope (Colossians 1:27). You need it; it’s all you have. You hold onto promises not yet fulfilled. It is painful; it is a brutal realization of just how much He had to remove. “Just stop existing,” is the new emotion you so often feel about your own life.
You wonder if your suffering makes others happy. A voice speaks. “I will restore. I will repair. This was for good. Don’t give up. Dream again.” You cry. That’s what you do. You cry and hope, and hold on.
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve Yahweh acceptably with reverence and with fear and awe of the Almighty. For our Mighty One is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:25-29)
Encouraged with Hope
This New Desire
(#103 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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There is a new desire birthed in me, forged in the valley of humiliation, to become a servant who leads with a heavenly purpose and passion for only His will. This new desire is that every move and every thought are in alignment with the advancement of His good things. I am seeing a vision with new perspectives radically shifted and renewed. I have this hope, this new-found dream in which anxiousness is replaced by vigor and integrity. I am still bound in the natural, yet experience freedom. I am truly free for the first time. Yes, I thought so before, outside this valley, yet now I see. I am reborn. Even though I am a captive of man, I am experiencing a powerful surge of rebirth in the spirit. My temperament is reserved, yet, I am prepared to burst into newness. He will do it. Yes, He will do it!
Oh, and He spoke to me. He spoke so loud and clear. “Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.” (Isaiah 49:23)
Like a thousand trumpets, He spoke. All my hope is in Him (Psalm 39:7). The prison in which I sit is the womb. Oh, His word is life. It is all that matters. I have been perishing and I must rise again to fulfill this new desire. The day of reconciliation will come. Restitution will come. Rebirth will come. Life I say, life!
It’s there, this new dream. Let it be Father. Let it be so. Yet, for these new dreams placed in my heart, dreams of things to come, I shall set them free knowing they can only come true if You remain my One desire. They shall be released to You, Father. You will retrieve your son from his captors. Only You can do it. Only you can. Your sons and daughters are meant to soar like eagles (Exodus 19:4). Oh Yahweh, we hope in You.
I say to Yahweh, “You are Yahweh; apart from you I have no good thing.” (Psalm 16:2)
Walking with God
Of Paramount Importance
(#102 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12:24)
“It’s not my life!” Have this mind in you My child. It is the starting place for all things: all hopes, dreams, ambitions, goals, and mindsets. If the foundation is not properly laid, all things will go askew.
Take a moment and ponder this concept, as it is the only way to true life. Are you hoping for things without My approval? Are you dreaming of things I have not asked of you? Are your ambitions undermining My will? If you have goals, where did you get them? Whose mind is guiding all of this?
Listen to Me! This one will be very, very difficult for you, but it must be done. How do I know it will be difficult? I made it that way. This is the narrow path, the path of true life. This must be a decision you make. Make it now, or you will only realize later how much pain your delay has caused. Decide whose life it is, yours or Mine. If you answered correctly, then you know what must be done.
Once you acknowledge that your life is Mine, My child, be ready to let go quickly. Ask Me about your goals and see if I approve. If not, let go. All of your hopes must be placed at My feet. Purpose to let go of all you have hoped for. Ask Me to return what was always of Me and to release all that was not.
Yes, this is a death. I acknowledge that this is a fearful place for you. It is the place wherein you fully decide who I Am to you. Am I the I Am? Are My promises real? Will I give you true life? All of these are answered inside of your decision to let go. You must let go. I sent My son and My Spirit to help, but you must make the first move. Confess to Me that I have permission to do whatever I will with your life.
I love you. I created you for this moment. Give in to Me. I don’t lie. I don’t hurt. Give in and I will show you true life. No more guessing about who I am. Give in.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. (Ephesians 1:11)
Psalm 139 God Knows Everything
Psalm 139 Prayer
(#101 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me.” (v. 5) Oh how I love the thought of it, like the thought of a newborn snuggled in blankets. Protection Father, Your strong arms carry me and protect me. You are always here to guide, always watching over me. I need that Father, the touch in the core of my soul that brings warmth and comfort.
I have these pictures in my mind; pictures created by faith. I love that my days are numbered (Job 14:5) and not one shall be missed. Nothing shall happen to me that was not ordained by You. Nothing shall enter that was not allowed. I need to know these things. I need to feel, to consciously grasp, Your love. I have this longing in my heart, this desire that burns inside me, a desire to feel Your love. I yearn for my mind to be enveloped with Your love, so that all of my thoughts are permeated by You.
Must I work to feel it Father? Am I working too hard? I only know what I have attained up to this very moment. Anything new must come from You. Please bring something new Father, more love and a deeper understanding. I want to feel Your thoughts towards me, thoughts numbered like the grains of sand (v.18). I want to feel them all.
I need to know what I am. Take the words off this page and place them within me. Teach me how to receive Your love. Remove all that keeps me from the fullest measure. Come Yahshua; grant me this new dream, this dream to know You completely. I come in faith and ask for a new thing, a fresh thing: new comfort, new love and new thoughts that bring Your truth into clarity.
Understanding Yahweh
If you don’t understand God you don’t seek God! He wants you to know him but you must ask if you want to receive.
Perspective
(#099 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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My precious little one, may I share something with you, something that will lift you and carry you? I always hear you. Even when I say, “no,” I hear you. Yes, I have complete control. When you see a mountain top from the valley below, I hear your favorite prayer. “Bring me back to the mountaintop!” My answer oftentimes, “no,” My child. Why? What parent chastens a child, only to then immediately restore them to a better place than before? Spoiled children would be the byproduct of such actions. Did Job deserve what he received? Yes, Job deserved to see the error of his way and to repent (Job 42:6). I do not make mistakes. I allow for trials; they serve a great purpose. Trials chasten to produce perseverance and maturity. (Read James 1:2-8)
Here is how I will carry you. The words I speak to you reveal patterns which should give you a new perspective. These patterns are a guide to seek and to know My ways. As My patterns are designed to be detectable and knowable by My children (Matthew 13:11), recognizing them is an opportunity to come to Me in boldness (Hebrews 4:15-16). Listen now; quiet your mind. Must I remove the mountain when you can climb it? If I take you to the top, at the top you will stand. Likewise, if you climb to the top, at the top you will stand. But what benefit to your faith will it be if it is done for you without your effort, “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience and patience will have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:3-4) This is a new perspective. It is a new day with a fresh anointing for clarity, clarity that comes with wisdom and understanding. (James 1:5)
You see My loved child, we are going to the top. It’s inevitable. We will stand together once this is achieved. I will nourish you. I will help you. I will be your guide. Not one hair will be lost. Not one bone broken. Climb My child, to the greatest of heights. I Am waiting for you.