If I'm a Princess, Then Where is My Castle?

Whether or not I feel like it all of the time, God sees me through the precious blood of Jesus as His daughter, a royal princess. Wow! Still blows my mind to truly accept this reality. Princesses live in castles, right? Oh, how I would absolutely love to live in a castle! And I can, and so can you. It's a possibility through my daily choosing.

How?

Consider this often-quoted verse from Nehemiah in the eighth chapter and tenth verse: "...Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Joy
is the settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope. It is rooted in God. It is an inner sense of exaltation and
confidence in God, which the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers and
which we experience despite present sufferings.
We do not seek joy as a thing, but as a Person, the Person of God
Himself. He is my exceeding joy! (Psalm 43:4)

Strength
as used in Nehemiah 8:10 is not an ability given to me, it is a place. Strength here is a noun, as in
stronghold or fortress. This word
strength is used 50 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament as
a stronghold. A stronghold is that in
which a person trusts (good or bad). This
stronghold means a refuge, to be too strong for, to protect, to be kept safe, to
lift high (out of the pit).

So, in very simplistic terms, when I choose to be content and exult in the LORD, no matter the circumstances, or my present emotions, joy in the LORD is my place of safety and refuge. Isn't that what a castle is? How amazing and wonderful!

Heard

Not only do I have a problem with being "visible" to others, and accepting the "ok-ness" of allowing others to see me, I struggle with being heard. Mumbling, softly spoken, monotone, mealy-mouth comments, all describe my communication style. Old tapes playing in my mind, "No one cares what you have to say", "You have nothing to say", "I might be criticized if what I say is wrong" over and over. Uncertainty, not confidence is conveyed most often when I dare to speak. But I am very encouraged by my Bible reading today, especially in two verses. First, 1 Timothy 4:15 says, "take pains with these things (my spiritual gifts) ; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all." I am to be so living out my spiritual gifts that others will see them. And that's not only OK, but it's one of the reasons for employing the gifts given to me. SO THAT my progress will be obvious to others! Wow! How foreign this concept is to me, the shrinking violet...It's more than OK to allow others to see my progress, because it's really God, showing Himself through me! And visibility includes my voice. My voice is one of the ways God provides the way for me to be seen. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) More reinforcement and admonition for me to allow others to see my works. It's OK. May I become faithful to let my voice be heard and my works be seen without any self-absorption or self-consciousness. Thank You, Lord.