Joy of the Blessing | May Monthly Blog

Prepared Bride

“ For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 2.6

When the snowstorm hit Texas (and other areas not known for snowstorms) in mid-February of 2021 it revealed some weaknesses in the infrastructure. Because we were exposed to colder temperatures (than usual) for longer than we usually are, there were problems that we don’t usually encounter. Like power outages, frozen pools, burst pipes, etc. Some were prepared for this and others were not. Could it be that this picture in the natural is preparing us for something in the spiritual realm? His wisdom is showing us in the natural what we need to do in the spiritual. Just like the parable of the ten virgins, (Matthew 25) Jesus illustrates how five of them were wisely prepared with oil in their lamps and how five did not.  Some believe that the oil is representative of relationship and history with the Lord. Bob Jones, a well-known prophet, prophesied of a coming billion-soul harvest. What if this unprecedented storm was a wake-up call to prepare to care for those souls?  

 God is exposing weaknesses to allow us to be refined and strengthened. Experiences are building character if we are submitted and willing to participate. Could this be a warning to the body of Christ that some are not prepared? What could you do to prepare for this harvest? Who will disciple them?  It’s time to get prepared. This word is for the entire body of Christ. Ask God to show you what you need to prepare for the coming harvest of souls. How can you make sure to grow your roots so that you are deeply anchored in Jesus and the word of God?  

The Lord is With You

“The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him He will forsake you. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly.  They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.”

2 Chronicles 15.2, 15

The story of Asa, king of Judah, is told in 2 Chronicles 14-16. Asa started strong by doing what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed foreign altars and high places. He smashed sacred stones and eliminated Asherah poles. He even instructed Judah to seek the Lord; the God of their fathers and to obey His laws and commands. Asa trusted the Lord and sought Him in all things. Because of this, God gave him victory in battle and rest on all sides. After some time God sent a prophetic word through Azariah for Asa. After that, he once again removed the idols in the land and led the people of Judah into renewing their covenant with the Lord. There they offered sacrifices that pleased God. There was no more war until the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign. Rather than turning to God for wisdom in how he should handle a border battle, he sought an alliance with a neighboring king. Hanai, the seer, came to him to tell him that because he had relied on the king of Aram instead of God, the army escaped his hand. He ended by telling Asa “You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war (2 Chronicles 16.9).”  Asa lost favor with the Lord because He stopped valuing and pursuing a relationship with God. This caused him to enter into war.  

In the Bible, it was made very plain to God’s people how to keep yourself pure (don’t intermarry, kill off the bad people, etc.), but in this day and age, it can feel less plain. When we seem to be constantly bombarded with messages of conformity, compromise, and apathy, it can be easy to not stand firm in our faith. Asa was favored by the Lord until he chose his own plan over his relationship with God. God longs to live in covenant with us, He longs for us to process the things of our life with Him on a daily basis. His wisdom is always available to us if we ask, but we must ask. For we can have knowledge, but without wisdom or understanding it is not useful. God is inviting us to choose Him and to know Him. His promise to us is that we will always find Him when we seek Him. He’s challenging us to press into intimacy, constantly and intentionally choosing to go back to Him and His ways, to value His wisdom, and to trust Him. This word is for people that feel like they haven’t had success lately or like they’re in the midst of a battle. Choose to cultivate a lifestyle of intimacy with the Lord. Seek Him and He will be found by you. He longs for our constant return to communion to Him. He wants to co-labor with us. He has no desire to tell us what to do but rather He longs to partner with us and find answers together. 

The Joy of the Blessing

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10.10

Good fathers love to bless their children-whether they deserve it or not. God is a good father and He delights in blessing His kids. Sometimes when we experience a blessing from our Father and we come face to face with the need in others, we can be tempted to feel guilt for the abundance that has been sent our way. As believers, we are set apart to glorify God and set apart to be a blessing. The enemy can come in with guilt and try to divide us and to deprive believers of the joy of God’s blessing for them. At times guilt can paralyze us into inaction-which is just what the enemy would want. It can also confuse us. The Lord does not send guilt, but instead, the Holy Spirit convicts-which is always accompanied by the grace to accomplish what He’s calling you to do.  The Holy Spirit does not condemn, for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8.1). Brene Brown tells us that guilt says that what I did was bad. Often God’s conviction is so sweet, even heartbreaking when the beauty of His plan becomes evident. The enemy is a thief and his plan is to divide, distract, kill, destroy and deprive people of joy.  We must guard against unrighteous guilt that makes us want to reject the blessing that God has for us.  

God is strengthening our identity and releasing His blessing on us. He is shining light on the enemy’s plan to rob us of our joy. This word is for people that have been feeling guilty. Sometimes we can feel guilt that is legitimate, but unrighteous guilt means there’s no reason for you to feel guilty because you didn’t do anything wrong. By receiving a blessing, you’re not doing anything wrong. An example of this could be if you feel guilty being pregnant around someone who has had a miscarriage or feel guilt getting a promotion when you have friends that are struggling financially. Can you bless and support those around you that are hurting or in need? Absolutely, but don’t feel guilty about the fact that God is blessing you. Take hold of God’s blessing for you! See it for what it is and ask God if you are to share it with anyone. You will always be blessed by blessing others. Greater blessing is unlocked when we can push past guilt and receive from the Lord. You can’t embrace and receive the blessing (all that God has for you) when you’re wrapped up in guilt.  

 Breakthrough Faith

“By faith, Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

Hebrews 11.23

Although we know that nothing is impossible for God, sometimes if we only focus on our external circumstances we can become discouraged. Pay attention to when the things God has put on your heart begin too big or impossible for Him. Take heed of what you KNOW He has already said to you. Keep your prophetic words in front of you, and surround yourself with those who believe in the calling on your life or your word from the Lord. Even when it doesn’t look like you expected it to look or when you don’t look how you thought you’d look when it happens, it’s important to still take a step of faith. It’s impossible to please God without faith. When Moses was born in Egypt the king had commanded the midwives to kill every little boy that was born, so his Mom, after hiding him for three months, put her son in a basket in the water. What faith this took! 2021 is a year of breakthrough that many have been waiting for for a long time!  

God is bringing breakthrough when we take a step of faith. He’s reminding us of who He created us to be, reminding us of what He’s already told us, and He’s inviting us to take the next step of faith without knowing what the next ten steps are going to look like. If we choose not to take the next step we need to realize that we are wrapped up in unbelief. This word is for those sowing seeds and those plowing those seeds. It’s for people that are expectant for their breakthrough or maybe even feeling stuck. They might have an opportunity that doesn’t fully line up with what they thought it would look like, but they feel compelled to take the step anyway-even though they don’t know how the next ten steps will work out.  Take the step in faith to see if God meets you or fully opens the door. Wait expectantly for God to reveal the next step, knowing that He will. Remind yourself of testimonies of God’s faithfulness, revisit your prophetic words and be intentional about surrounding yourself with faith-filled, supportive people.  

©2021 All Rights Reserved

With prophetic insight from Bethany Hess and Lindsey Duke

Blog written by Anne E. Ballard

At The Crowning Jewels, our desire and our mission are to bring encouragement, to build others up, and to bring comfort to people’s lives (1 Corinthians 14.3). As a team each month we ask the Lord what He’s doing in the coming month and for any words of encouragement, he might have for people as a loving God. We realize that with a corporate prophetic word not all words are applicable to all people. If it’s prophetic it also needs to be encouraging and edifying. If our words bless you, please take hold of them and apply them in your own life. If it’s not specific to you, please pass it on to someone else who might be blessed. We do not sell prophecies; prophecy is a free gift from heaven. As a prophetic business, our mission is to bring encouragement and edification to people; our product is simply jewelry.

DECLARATIONS

We at The Crowning Jewels believe in the absolute, transformational power of declarations. We know that truth comes by hearing (Romans 10.17), and speaking truth is an active way for us to renew our minds (Romans 12.2). We invite you to partner with what God is doing and say these declarations for the remainder of the month. We would love to hear what God does! Please email us your testimony at tellyourstory@thecrowningjewels.com.

May Declarations:

1. God is strengthening & preparing His bride.
2. My roots are being deeply anchored in Jesus.
3. I fully receive the blessings God wants to give me.
4. This is a year of a breakthrough by steps of faith!
5. I am expectant of God’s faithfulness in my story. 

Each month we design two limited edition pieces of jewelry, only available for that month, handmade with words and charms that reflect the monthly prophetic word. If this word resonates with you and you'd like to wear a reminder of its truths, click the pieces below to shop!