ALL IT TOOK WAS ONE…

This morning google photos popped up reminding me at this time three years ago, I was in the middle of chemo treatments for breast cancer. We had taken a trip up to the Smokey Mountains with my parents for a few days in the middle of it all.

Interestingly, today I find myself in the middle of treatments once again, and I am longing for these mountains. I may not be able to feel the cool running waters, but my heart is very much here. Near this quiet brook of bliss (psalm23). I am so grateful for this photo that my dad captured.  Right after this was taken, I walked along the rocks in the stream. Holy Spirit whispered to me to pick out five smooth stones, so of course I did. I knew the reference was to David, but I wasn’t sure why he was having me do it. I put them in my pocket and still have them today.

Months later, I was in my closet pouring out my heart to Abba and He brought those stones into remembrance. I held them in my hand waiting on Him to speak. Admittedly, my heart was in a vulnerable place wrestling with fear over a specific health situation that I was walking through. He gently whispered to my heart, “How many stones did it take to slay Goliath?”. Of course, I knew, but before I could respond He said, “All it took was one.”

His gentle whisper pierced through all the fear and questions and immediately I felt the radiant light of His hope illuminate through my whole being.

That was not just any stone. It was defiant love flung by the power of The Fear of The Lord. It was love that is absolutely assured that there is victory over anything and everything that would rise up in opposition to its authority.

David’s life has always been so fascinating to me. He is one that I have always felt a deep connection with. David found home in those fields day after day night after night tending his flocks with Abba. He knew He belonged to Abba and that love empowered Him to do the impossible. He didn't consider all the others that Goliath had slain. He didn’t measure his sword to Goliath's or his physical size even. No. He knew that this mouthy Philistine was daring to exalt itself over the word of the Lord. Because of that, David knew victory was secured, someone had to have the confidence in Yahweh’s nature and authority to stand up and release it.

He was an unlikely candidate. Hidden in the fields for years, rejected and unseen. But those years were actually his school of beloved identity. Love is always the highest authority in the room. David knew Love himself so when that giant dared to rise up, David knew the One who could take him down. Because he had seen him do it before, alone when no one was watching.

This word meant something very specific to me when he originally spoke it to me in the closet that day. But this morning He took it deeper and showed me a greater truth hidden in it.

This stone in the hand of a shepherd boy that took down that giant points to another. Many years later, a precious stone would be flung from the heart of Abba, straight into the depth of the giant called death and separation. This is the living stone that many rejected but has now become the cornerstone. He was not what they all expected. He refused to wear the religious armor, but instead became the very stone that took down death and the grave itself. “All it took was one”. One stone that defeated fear, death and the grave. Setting all men free and birthing a completely new people. This one stone is Yeshua and all who put their hope in him will never be disappointed.

There is a giant that has risen up against me. But this battle really isn’t about me. It’s risen against the word of the Lord over my life. The word of The Lord over my husband and children’s lives. It’s risen against the promises, the love and heart of the Father for me and my generations. It has risen against the deeply woven relationship that I have with my beloved bridegroom. It has risen against the knowledge of Yeshua. It has risen against the victory sound of the IT IS FINISHED in the blood of Jesus. But like David, I cling to this one stone and hold it high as a reminder that this battle has already been won on my behalf! And now I myself have become a living stone, joined in union with Him to host the presence of Yahweh!

This victory has rendered this giant powerless. It’s only weapon now is deception. It bullies, harasses and intimidates people. It comes to steal, kill and destroy. But there is One I know more, and His name is Yeshua. He is the good shepherd who came to give us LIFE and LIFE ABUNDANT!

All it took was one stone named YESHUA to take out that giant called death. So I stand in assurance that this battle is already one.

I want to encourage you today that whatever impossible situation that you may be facing, allow Holy Spirit to give you His perspective on it. Shut down the voices that try to magnify the size of the opposition. Set your eyes on the greatness of The Lord. Take your focus off of the problem and get lost in the love of your Father. You are so incredibly loved! Let that reality enfold you until you are unaware of the battle. You’re just feasting with your Father.

As beloved sons and daughters born from the pierced side of Yeshua we are called to live our lives and view every circumstance from the IT IS FINISHED reality. This is the truth to which all things are held up and tested unto.

Psalm 23

John 10

Matthew 22:42-46

Psalm 118:22-23

1 Samuel 17

Melissa Richardson

Betrayal.

Not a fun thing to walk through. Unfortunately for me this is a topic that I am well acquainted with. Whether it is family members, friendships or romantic relationships I have experienced betrayal in them all. I believe there is nothing that cuts as deep as betrayal. It’s a pain that is unique in itself that can have devastating lasting effects if left unhealed. It can create walls of isolation, constant suspicion and keep one from ever experiencing the beauty of whole relationships.

Lately Holy Spirit has been confronting the places in my heart that have been negatively affected by all of the betrayals in my life. Even allowing me to walk through new ones. The deep question in my heart has always been “How am I supposed to ever fully trust anyone except you? Am I even supposed to?” I believe those who are well acquainted with betrayal often find themselves content being alone. The safest I feel is alone with Abba. It is my favorite place, His lap. But I have reached this place where I know He is asking me to trust again. As our Father, it is His greatest delight in our being together. Not just He and I, although this is so special to him, but as a family. To have all of His kids around His table enjoying communion with Him and each other in love.

The fact that He has made this desire known to me means enough to me to overcome all of the fear and hesitation to put down my walls. To run ahead boldly and bravely. Laying down the walls of self protection on the altar of love. More than I crave the illusion of safety, I long for Him to have every desire and dream in his heart. Someone has to be willing to go first. Someone has to be brave enough to absorb the pain of betrayal and rejection and believe again. Believe for true family. Believe for authentic relationship. Believe the good inside others even if it is buried under a bunch of darkness.

One did go first. His name is Yeshua.

REJECTION AND SOCIAL CIRCLES

Lately I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of people wrestling with feelings of rejection. Seeking to find their “people”, their place at certain tables, their social circle. Ultimately where they fit.

I am no stranger to the feelings of rejection. Honestly I have had beautiful friendships along the way. I’ve experienced both popularity and unpopularity in different seasons of life. But no matter what seeming “acceptance” I experienced I never have felt “in”. Even at the earliest memory I felt loved but still very different which at times felt like rejection.

There have also been times of straight rejection. No way around it. I’ve been both invited and uninvited… welcome and unwelcome… remembered and forgotten. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and that is really okay with me. Sitting here today, I can confidently say that all this was to serve me. It drove me to the Father’s arms, the faithfulness of the bridegroom and the sweetest friendship with Holy Spirit.

I was talking to Holy Spirit about this topic the other day. As I asked him to show me His perspective, this is what He said…

“Melissa, people grasp for social circles seeking fulfillment, seeking comfort, seeking home.. but it’s rooted in insecurity.

The only social circle that brings the security and fulfillment they are seeking is in the social circle of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.. the circle dance of Perichoresis.

It’s the social circle they were created from. It’s the fullness, the protection, the ecstasy, the joy, the peace, the love that they are seeking. It’s HOME.”

The more conscious and secure one becomes here, the more authentic confidence is formed allowing one then to truly love the way they were designed to.

Not grasping, pulling or seeking for one to fulfill what only he can.

THE FAITH OF JESUS

9/7/23

Completely helpless I lay, unconscious without strength of body or choice of mind

Unaware

No ability

No gifting

Nothing to offer you or meet you with

No ability to stand or song to sing

No declaration to declare or weapon to bring

Just me

No response to meet you with

No energy or plea to give

Just me

Just you

Just truth

Your face

Your heart

You prove

You meet me here

Rescue

There’s nothing I have to prove

Just being here with you

Is all I want to do

It heals transforms, makes new

What more could I ever need

Than you right here with me?

I never wanna leave

This dance you dance around me

Colors captivating

Faces swirling changing

Love incapacitating

My body can barely take it

You came for me

You came into me

You will never leave

Seamless union

In each breath I breathe

Holy Spirit unveil this mystery! That you are the Abba that never leaves!!!

No height no depth no depravity

No darkness no weapon no hell or grave

Can ever come close to separate

YOUR LOVE HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING

To be ONE with you is why you came

Now I rest right here with you

Enamored in this love

No fear

No doubt

Just perfect love

No striving

Not even trying

Just perfect love

It’s your Faith Jesus that is alive in me

Your love that opened my eyes to see

That when I had absolutely nothing to bring

Your love came rushing to rescue me

All you wanted is to be with me

And all I want is to be with you

Seamless union

absolute

Life abundant flows from you

Endless praises Gratitude will fill eternity lifted high to you

I love you

Unaware of anything but you

Oh Jesus come and do what you want to

Completely captivated

I’m lost in you

Melissa Richardson

PERFECT LOVE

How are you?

I simply do not know how to give an adequate answer to this question

Diagnosis has attempted to assert itself. But those words haven’t ever had any authority over me.

Shame says I’m bald but He said vulnerability and nakedness is making room for greater glory. He said “ITS OVER” and sealed it with perfect love on my head.

There is a realm He has brought me into where death is irrelevant. Separation is an illusion.. and suffering is a beautiful gate to deeper entwining and becoming

I’m surrounded by perfect love. His wrap around presence hides me in the safety of His love. It’s all I can see. It has consumed my consciousness.

At times, I hear the distant knocks of other peoples lower realms of perspectives.. questioning.. worrying.. fearful..

Yet I remain surrounded in the chrysalis of perfect love…

I am becoming something completely new in here which is yet to be unveiled

But I refuse to come out before He says it’s time

What looks like suffering to the rest of the world Is actually favor

I cannot explain the depths and the access

The encounter.. the transformation

The braiding.. the intimacy.. nor do I want to try to.. it’s too precious.. words feel like constraints in this space

All I can see are beautiful tomorrows filled with goodness and mercy.. I am so distracted by the LIFE He is showing me in this place.. and beyond this moment.. my heart is swollen with excitement and pregnant with anticipation..

so when another who doesn’t see these things asks in that lower frequency of fear it comically stuns me like a pop of static electricity..

How can I explain this JOY? This HOPE? This wild river of LIFE gushing out of me? This REST and PEACE that is absolute.

Truthfully I can’t. Because He’s a person to be encountered and known.. not explained.

So I just smile and say, “really good”…

And there is the invitation..

And right now that is enough.

Melissa Richardson

THE NOT SO POPULAR OPINION…

Recently there has been a lot of criticism and opinions flying around. Whether it’s about the Super Bowl ad drama or Travis Kelce drama.. politics.. wars.. everyone seems to have a strong opinion and feels validated to express it.

I admit, I too had my own opinions.. it’s only natural to see things and then form judgments but the fruit of that is just that.. another opinion. There is no change in culture.. no transformation. So allow me to offer another perspective.

Months ago I was confronted with a situation that honestly really frustrated me. I voiced my opinions to The Lord in how wrong the beliefs of the other people were.. wanting to go in and ‘flip some tables’. I was angry and annoyed, what I was seeing was correct in that Jesus was being misrepresented and in turn misunderstood leading people into deeper bondage.

Knowing that what I was feeling was not 100% pure I began asking Him to help my heart. I humbled myself, laid down my perspectives and I asked him to give me his.

That’s when I heard him ask, “Melissa, would you give your life for these people?”

The fear of the Lord hit me as I felt the weight of His words pierce through my soul.

If I am honest, the answer at that point was probably no. I would like to think that I would, but at that point, I couldn’t fully and honestly answer yes to that question.

He said “These are ones that I laid my life down for. While they are still darkened. Until one has that kind of love in their hearts, you don’t get to flip tables.”

In other words, until His love is so formed in you that you are willing to lay your life down for them, you don’t have the authority to flip any tables.

I believe this is why the church has been so divided and irrelevant. We have been void of love, the only thing necessary. We point fingers at others trying to “stand for truth” when our hearts are completely without love. The only love present is with our own opinions. We point our crooked fingers and blast our opinions holding tightly to our perspectives demanding others to comply.

Surrendering to the life of The Spirit is staying in such a humble posture that we are constantly submitting our perspectives to Holy Spirit to gain His. When we said ‘Yes’ to Jesus we forfeited our “right” to our opinion. This is the standard friends. We have no right to our opinions or perspectives. We are to constantly be learning His. His perspectives bring life and peace.. joy and hope. The perspectives of the natural mind usually yield frustration and criticism… heaviness and hopelessness.

That is a pretty awesome exchange but it requires a yielded heart.

What if the body of Christ began actually walking in this?

Imagine if the mind of a person thought one way but its body parts were all trying to go different directions or rejecting itself? That individual would not be able to go anywhere or get anything accomplished. This is exactly what has happened in the body of Christ. We have been so busy rejecting one another over differences that we have no power or influence over the broken culture.

But I believe it’s shifting. As we learn to yield to Jesus, the head, we will begin to actually look like Him in the earth and become the Bride He deserves 💜

Are we learning His perfect love?

Melissa Richardson

A few weeks ago I had a dream where bombs were falling from the sky all around me. I had the kids by the hand and I took off running under this shelter. Though the bombs fell all around us they didn’t hit us. We were untouched and unharmed safe under this shelter.

When I woke up, I knew Holy Spirit was showing me what was coming. The care of the Lord will always be amazing to me. Surely enough over the next few weeks we entered a time when it has literally been one thing after another. It has felt like bombs falling from the sky, one after another. In times like this it is really easy to focus on the bombs. But what Holy Spirit spoke to me was to focus on the safety and the shelter.

Psalm 91 is a life passage for me. It is a one of those places in the bible where I feel like I own that real estate. He spoke it to me when I was an adolescent and it has carried me throughout my life. I have lived it over and over and over again. It is a beautiful promise of deliverance and protection. The safe arms of The Father shielding us from harm throughout times of pressure and trouble. Again, He sang it over me this morning.

Here is the thing about these times. No one wants them. No one likes to be attacked or walk through trials but what I have learned over the years is these are the sweet spots. Where Abba picks me up and holds me closest. Where I feel His presence the most tangible and see His hand move on my behalf the most powerfully. The truth is He is unmoved by them. Darkness ceases to exists in the radiance of His light. There is no competition. It is not light versus dakness. Darkness is simply eliminated by His radiance without any effort on His part at all. He is never wringing His hands wondering how things are going to turn out for me. He is there in it all and working it all out for my good. So what is the point of it all? It is to train my eyes to keep his gaze. To drive fear out of my camp and allow His perfect love to enfold every space that questions.

So in a day when life just feels like a lot, I can trhow my head back and rest in the overflowing love of my perfect Father. I can let all of it fall around me and know it is not mine to manage. It is not mine to hold. All that is mine is the one thing. His gaze. From this space worship resounds. Gratitude is my choice. The world and religion will say stand and fight. That is not our portion beloved. Rest and joy is our inheritance and it is not conditional on our circumstances. It has already been accomplished on our behalf and I am convinced that our worship in the midst of the hard things is what ushers in the victory. We are tapping in by faith and pulling into reality the promises of Yahweh when we choose to not focus on the issues but instead keep His gaze knowing that He holds us. He holds our family. He holds our past, present and future. This is maturity. This is trust. No doubt, my most significant encounters have occurred in the dark night. He is so near. He is so close. He is the most loving and caring Father. He promised to never leave us or forsake us.

So today, if you are going through it. Whatever it is, it is not worth sacrificing your peace and joy over. Choose to give thanks. Choose to worship. Choose to believe in His goodness. Know that He is near. Run and hide in the shadow of the Almighty. Sit and feast on His promises. Rest and let Him fight on your behalf. Forsake the fighting mindset and come into the inheritance of rest.

Relationships. Friendships. Family.
We were created for love from love. We were made to be in relationship. Real ones. Heaven ones. Not the competitive, insecure, offended, self-centered, leaving kind. Unfortunately, the latter has been more of my experience than the former. I have put my heart out there time and time again only to have it trampled, rejected, betrayed over and over again. In the space of pain, I found a safe place of safety in my Abba's lap. My bridegroom’s heart that is fully in love and devoted. With my best friend named Holy Spirit who never leaves. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.
I was good here in my secret place, safe away from all the hurtful people. But real intimate love will always look for another to bring into fellowship. After all, its why we are all here.
So I keep opening. Keep forgiving. Keep believing. Keep hoping. And still I have continued to be hurt. Misunderstood and disappointed yet again. I have had this thought swirling in my mind over the past few months, "How am I ever supposed to truly trust in an authentic friendship the way I see Holy Spirit showing me if all my heart ever experiences is betrayal and disappointment?" The answer is not what you would expect. Logic would encourage me to guard until safety is certain. But as I close my eyes and ask Him this question, every time He shows me Himself hanging on that cross. He whispers "Melissa, I died with my arms wide open". In that moment I lose all right to close my heart. I lose the right to make the claims of betrayal and rejection. "No greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend." Even if that friend is holding the spear. Even if that friend is betraying you with a kiss. Even if that friend is denying you around the campfire. Our standard is the love of Jesus. Love that endures. Love that doesn’t close off when hurt. Love that overcomes. A love that DELIGHTS in mercy. One of the most courageous and rebellious things one can do is determine to love no matter what. To refuse offense. To forgive over and over. To tear down the walls around the heart and dare to love again and again and again. Dare to believe the voice deep inside that testifies to a love that is pure.

Someone must go first.

 
I have dreamed of family. I have dreamed of authentic whole heaven relationships. What I have found is that this fulfillment didn’t come to save me from all the hurt of past relationships. It was the path peppered with deep wounds and painful betrayals that led me right here. It was the refusal to be offended. The refusal to shut down. The yielding to the potter’s hands even when it hurt. suddenly I arose and found myself filled with such a steady and sure love that I have become content to be that safe place for those around me. The assurance not that others won’t hurt me, but that this love in me is more than enough to overwhelm whatever pain may come. A confident love. A knowing of who I am and who He is that creates such a fearless space for others to come in and find home. You cannot live this life of love without experiencing the pain he experienced. It will cost you everything, especially your false perception of safety. The truth is the only true place of safety is in His love and a love that fierce won’t be content to stay walled up. It’s a raging river that must flow. It’s a force so strong that it will overwhelm the offenses. It will heal the wounds. It will quiet the fears. So the answer is not for more control. The answer is not certain predetermined behaviors in others. The answer is in wild fiery love burning so hot within that will overwhelm anything that gets in its path. It’s the wrath that protects. I found home in this love. I found a family of other wild lovers. So, I am really thankful. If you find me with tear-stained cheeks, a grin on my face, feet that refuse to be still and hands that must be raised it’s because this heart found home and gratitude’s only response is wild worship.

To those along this journey who have been a part of this pain, I want to say thank you. You were a tool in my Abbas hands, helping cultivate this garden of love and mercy. He works it all for our good. There is absolutely no way I would know this kind of love without walking that path of pain. Thank you. Bless you.