This Is the Job I Gave You

I kicked a toy out of my way as I headed to the washroom in the middle of the night. Sighing, I asked for the umpteenth time "Why do I have to do this?" Motherhood seemed overrated. I was irritated that I could not sleep, and that in a few short hours I would hear little voices calling, "Nana!" from upstairs.

Flashback: When I was twelve, I knew God was calling me to full-time Christian service. It's as real today as it was xy years ago! {wink}

In between then and now, life happened, just as it always will. Many events happened--sad and happy, but God ultimately fulfilled one of my biggest dreams: being a preacher's wife. Through the challenges and joys, I now thoroughly enjoy working in ministry alongside my husband. I wouldn't want to do anything else.

Yet this did not happen the way I expected. I was thirty-five before I met my husband. And finally my dreams came true! He's an awesome man of God who runs his own homebuilding company while pastoring a church he started.

The thing I didn't expect was to instantly become a mother of three as well! If that wasn't surprise enough, the next thing I didn't expect was to raise two little munchkins who happen to be our grandchildren!

I will be real here: I harboured such mixed emotions about getting the {grand}kids full-time! I had never raised toddlers, never had the opportunity to care for a baby, never homeschooled. Aaaaaaaaa!

My faithful God kept bringing back to my mind one of four specific verses He had given me when I was praying about marrying my husband: Esther 4:14. He told me He brought me here "for such a time as this." Over time, I came to accept the fact that I had a toddler full-time, and later, a second one. Full-time. But honestly, the fears were eating me alive!

How can I open my heart this wide?
How long will I get to raise them?
How long will I have to raise them? (This question came on the more challenging days!)
What will my emotions do when I have to give them up?
How will I handle my emotions if I raise them and in the end, they rebel against God and everything they are taught?
When will I ever have time for my coveted writing career--or anything else, for that matter?!

One evening God spoke into my life through a comment someone made in the Bible study discussion group I lead and teach. (Be faithful. God speaks through you to your leaders!) We were discussing children. Though I do not remember the exact comment from this lady,  God's ever-so-gentle comment to me at that moment was crystal clear!

My child,

This is the job I gave you.

I'm aware that you thought you would be on the mission field, 

or having your own biological children, 

or writing full-time... 

and all those desires are great!

And if I had asked you to do those things, 

you would have immediately surrendered. 

I know your heart is toward Me.

But these are the plans I had for you. 

This is what I had in mind for your life. 

This is what I know is best for you. 

The question has always been and always will be:

Will you trust ME?

Yes, Lord, I will trust You! You've always been faithful! How can I not trust You?

It's not about me, it's all about You,
I yield myself now unto all that is True;
I'm free to obey, to yield all I am,
I'll live for You now, O my precious Lamb!

I am yielding myself, surrendering all;
Lord Jesus, You love me, so I answer Your call!

It's not about me, it's all about You,
I choose to act now as You want me to do;
You gave me Your Spirit to walk as I ought,
Lord, I can be true unto all I've been taught.

I am yielding myself, surrendering all;
Lord Jesus, You love me, so I answer Your call!
words (c) Dayna Spear Guenther, 2013; music, John B. Summer, 1877 (hymn tune: "I'm a Child of the King")

O Lord, when I need to pick up toys for the 500th time, please remind me of those who are suffering in other parts of the world, imprisoned for their faith, watching their children be killed. Remind me of those precious ladies whose arms long to hold a child even if it means tripping over toys a gazillion times a day. (Remind me that I used to be one of those ladies!) Remind me of Your Son who endured so much agony just for me! Enable me to "consider Him which endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest {I} be wearied and faint in {my mind}" (Hebrews 12:3)!

What about you? 

Is there an area or circumstance of your life that you just wish God would change? Could it be that He brought you to this place "for such a time as this"? He truly has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness (II Peter 1:3) He's faithful: if He's called you, He also will do it (I Thessalonians 5:24)! He will perfect that which concerns you (Psalm 138:8)!

Please comment and tell me your own story of God's leading in your life in paths you have not known (Isaiah 42:16). 

Is Holiness a Goal?

Wow. I just saw Psalm 17:15 in a whole new light the other day as I was meditating on it (while weeding my garden... LOL!)

Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."

This verse became special to me in my freshman year of Bible college, when my friend April shared it with me... It was her life verse, and I claimed it for my own life verse for that period of time.  Thanks, April!

At that time I viewed it as a "declaration" verse stating that I was seeking to be holy, to become righteous. Now, there is a truth that as I yield to Christ, my behaviour and actions become more righteous as I grow in Him. However, there are many passages that tell me that positionally I already am righteous, because I am "in Christ." Please hear (read) me out and consider this carefully! This concept has really changed my life and my thinking!

As I learn to know Him and yield to Him more readily, more often, and on more of regular basis, rather than yielding to my default/fleshly desires and behaviour, my life will exhibit more and more of His righteousness that is already in me by His Spirit.

So from that change of thought--that I should look at holiness as a position in Christ that I yield to, rather than a goal to attain--this is the personal application the Lord gave me from my "old" life verse:

As for me, I will (desire and choose to) behold (gaze upon, focus upon, look to) His face in (through His) righteousness (in me). He plants the right desire in me as I yield to His Spirit living in me. The only way I will be satisfied (have true, lasting satisfaction, truly and deeply at rest and content) is when my focus is HIM, awaking with His likeness, from the early morning: starting my day beholding Him by claiming His righteousness afresh, first thing in the morning. Choosing to walk that way with Him through the day.

Be Still

If I pause to listen, I will hear it. If I pause to notice, I will see it.

Sunlight on grass and leaves

Birds singing

Morning breeze

Varieties of beautiful plants, flowers, and trees

Thank You, God, for Your gifts!

My cat Espresso and her five cute kittens’ small voiced mews

Robin on green grass

Light dancing on the wood pile

Eyes to see

My warm, cosy robe against crisp morning air

Pretty tray with my breakfast and coffee on it

Bright colours

Thank You, God, for my health today.

Thank You for Your infinite, beyond-my-understanding love!

Perennials in my yard from previous owner

Thank You, God, for my wonderful, understanding, forgiving, gracious husband.

Thank You for this quiet time outside!

Breeze in the trees rustling

Turtle dove’s mourn

Mango, sweet and sour, tasty, bright orange

Fire pit for family times

Thank You, God, for headache-free days, for discoveries of food that makes me feel well.

Robin’s alert—cat!

Grass so green—pristine—reminds of Ireland!

Hostas getting big

Coffee with hazelnut
Sun on a barn shed

Lines and character in an old hunk of wood

Do you see? Do you hear? 

Do you thank?

Priceless Simplicity

Side note: I just ran across this on another blog and loved the sense of humour... click the button... but please come back!



As you can see, I don't blog every day, or even every week. I do try to at least post once a month. Usually more often than that. But I don't want my blog to become a drudgery, I don't want to become a slave to it, and I definitely don't want it to become a tool the enemy uses to keep me from my responsibilities and ministries.

"Let all things be done decently and in order."~ I Corinthians 14:40

***

Simplicity. 

I love the sound of that word!

It's right up there with calm and peace!

I have a blue wipe-off board on my refrigerator. At times I write notes to family members, usually noting what leftovers are available in the fridge for them. Please eat the leftover pasta before it becomes a science project... Please and thank you!

Lately though, I've taken to putting up a Scripture or phrase of which I need to be reminded.

If you come into my kitchen, this is what you will see on the board:

The Simplicity that is in Christ

Some may consider that a strange "reminder" phrase. Let me explain. As most pink people in the world, I tend to be a complex, emotional woman! That's not all bad, because God made me pink for a reason! Just as he made my husband  blue for a reason.

(If you're wondering where all the pink vs. blue comes from, read Love & Respect  by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs... one of the best books on marriage! It helps you understand members of the opposite sex in general.)

Well, being pink, as I said, I can be quite emotional. And when I yield to those wobbling emotions over what Christ says, I can complicate life. This is what the enemy wants!

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ~ II Corinthians 11:3

I'm a mess when I start telling myself a bunch of stories (about myself, about someone else, or about a situation). And things get complicated in a hurry.

Here's how this has worked at times in the past... Do you ever do this?

1. Someone doesn't say hi to you at church, so you think they are mad at you.
2. Then you wonder what you did.
3. Then you start to mull it over and try to figure out what you did.
4. When you can't come up with any offence, you become irritated. She always acts that way. I don't know what her problem is!
5. Next thing you know, you have a story built up in your head about how much this woman hates you.
6. Later you feel depressed for seemingly no reason.
7. You start crying at the drop of a hat. You lash out at those you love, or withdraw from them.
8. Your husband can't do anything right.
9. YOU can't do anything right or accomplish anything.
10. Your kids are a pain and inconvenience.
11. And the hobbies you used to enjoy just aren't fun anymore.

Now, what happened?

You just got taken down in a round by the enemy!

We need to start recognising these things for what they are: attacks of the devil! He does not want us to have victory in Jesus! He wants us to be miserable. He can render us ineffective and steal our children as well in this way.

Life in Christ is simple. Christ is not complex. I do not mean disrespect here. It's true that His "ways are past finding out," and we will never know it all until we get to heaven. What I mean here is that we don't need to run around like chickens with our heads cut off in life! Settle down. Calm down. LET the peace of God rule in your heart!

Let's work back through our scenario and see how we could have let His peace rule.

1. Someone doesn't say hi to you at church, and you may think they are mad at you.
2. You may wonder what you did.
3. You ask the Lord if you did offend this person, if you are imagining things, or if it's their issue.
4. When the Lord does not reveal any offence, you pray for the person.
5. You may go to her, privately, and ask in sincerity if she's okay (as appropriate to the person or situation).
6. She may respond and ask you to pray for her, and realise that she has a true friend who really cares about her.
7. Later you feel happy, free, and released because you have listened to the Lord's leading, not to your unstable emotions!
8. You are free to love those you truly love, and draw closer to them, as well as to this fellow church member.
9. You believe you have the best husband in the world! You are content and grateful for the blessings in your life.
10. You believe you are right where God wants you, accomplishing all the things that He wants you to accomplish. This is fulfilling.
11. Your kids are a joy, and you enjoy being with them and teaching them the principles of God, because you are truly seeking to practise these principles yourself.
12. You enjoy your hobbies to the fullest.
13. You have a greater sense of your God-given purpose in life.

See what a relief that is? Jesus is the answer. Yielding to HIM is the answer. Setting your affection on things ABOVE is the answer. Let's purpose to change our responses and not go down the wrong emotional track!

Next time we'll talk about an acrostic that has helped me: H.A.L.T.

Choosing Joy

Sara (pictured here with her dog Riley) is dying of a hereditary, autoimmune disease abbreviated AS, but as her blog proclaims, she is "choosing joy."

This is the most inspiring, convicting, and sobering thing I have read in awhile. She writes...

“How do you manage to stay so positive? So happy? Don’t you ever just get really mad?”

I suppose the cop out answer, while true, is that I just don’t have the energy to be mad. Seriously. It takes so much effort and energy to wallow. And it’s not any fun. I live 99.8% of my time alone, and if anger was all I had to live with I would lose my mind.

I think, for me, it has been about learning to want what He wants for me more than what I want for myself.It's a tall order and I don't say that flippantly. But my joy has truly come from Him finding His joy in me rather than me finding my joy in what I desire. It doesn't mean I don't long for different, it just means I find peace in fulfilling rather than understanding. In the knowledge that this life isn’t about me, it’s about Him.

The thing I try to remind myself of, as I am without all the things that I wish I had to make me happy, is that my biggest need is Him. More than I need to be outside in the fresh air, more than I need to move without pain, more than I even need Dad... I need His will to be done in my life whether it is comfortable or not. There is not one thing that feels comfortable about my world right now, but I need Him more than I need to change my circumstances.

It's still brutally hard. I have to remind myself of these facts every day. It doesn’t always come easily.

But it doesn’t make the truth any less true.

And the truth is that I can choose the joy.

So I do.

~ Sara at Gitzen Girl: Choose Joy blog, http://gitzengirl.blogspot.com/

Update: Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2011...

Sara received information late yesterday afternoon that her body was beginning to shut down, and things have moved quickly since. Hospice arrived this morning and Sara is comfortable. Her family is surrounding her and reading her texts, facebook posts, and emails, so please feel free to contact her and share your love; she will not be able to reply but is taking great peace in your words, your heart.  I know how thankful she is for each of you, how much joy you’ve added to her days, and what purpose sharing Him has given her. I will continue to post as things change and want to thank each of you for the ways in which you have loved sweet Sara so well.

Come Thou Fount

Keukenhof Gardens, Netherlands


Have you ever meditated awhile on the words of the hymn "Come Thou Fount" by Robert Robinson? Would you take a few moments just to read carefully and dwell on these thoughts?


1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing,

 Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; 

 Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 

 Call for songs of loudest praise. 

 Teach me some melodious sonnet, 

 Sung by flaming tongues above. 

 Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 

 Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Jesus is the Fount that pours out every blessing in my life. When I realize that everything I have is a gift from Him--whether perceived good or bad*--my spirit (which is redeemed) wants my heart (my mind, will, and emotions, which are still carnal) to be tuned into that fact! Then I want to sing and tell everyone I know about His grace and never-ending streams of mercy!

*"Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, e'er to take as from a Father's hand."
(from the hymn "Day by Day.") 

 2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer*; 

 Hither by Thy help I'm come; 

 And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, 

 Safely to arrive at home. 

 Jesus sought me when a stranger, 

 Wandering from the fold of God; 

 He, to rescue me from danger, 

 Interposed His precious blood.

Oh to fully realize and continually remember that it's only by God's help that I have come to whatever place I've matured thus far in my life. And to acknowledge that it's only by His grace and pleasure (because He desires it) that He will safely conduct me home to Heaven. I'm so grateful that He searched for me when I was a sinner--born in sin--and that he "interposed" His precious blood on my behalf! 

 
*Ebenezer is a reference to I Samuel 7:12, meaning "hitherto hath the Lord helped." Other study helps indicate its meaning as "stone of help." It was a memorial stone erected by Samuel as a remembrance of the Lord's help in defeating the Philistines. 

3. O to grace how great a debtor 

 Daily I'm constrained to be! 

 Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 

 Bind my wandering heart to thee. 

 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 

 Prone to leave the God I love; 

 Here's my heart, O take and seal it, 

 Seal it for thy courts above. 

I am such a debtor to His grace! Because I was saved as a young child and did not dabble much in the world, at times I have not understood everything from which Jesus saved me. Now daily I can recognize more and more from which He saved me! I can recognize my proud heart, my arrogance in thinking I've been spiritual, my quiet rage and inward bitterness others don't see. Yes, He saved me from so much! And it's His goodness that makes me want to more tightly bind my heart to His! He doesn't force me to live for Him. I want to, because I'm so grateful for His grace daily shown in my life, ever willing to deliver me from my pride and arrogance, my anger and bitterness. My flesh makes me prone to wander away, to sink back into these besetting sins, but my spirit wants Him to take my heart and keep it close to His--a daily choice to walk in the power of the Spirit of God that lives within me! What freedom! Freedom to choose Him, not the destructive way of living!

Greener Pastures

The Grass Is Greener...

One morning recently my phone rang. It was my neighbour across the road. "You have horses on your front lawn," he told me. WHAT?!

Sure enough, two of our four horses found a gap at a broken gate where they could get out without the electric fence shocking them, and they were roaming around nibbling our grass! I guess the grass was greener on the other side! In the paddock they rely on the hay we provide; but the yard on the other side tantalizes them with luscious, albeit dandelion-infested, grass. Sterling and Lacy just got impatient waiting for their breakfast!

How like me in my Christian walk. More times than I care to count, I have grown tired of waiting on the Master for what I thought I should have coming to me. After all, I'm worth it! I deserve it! Right? (See Romans 3:10, 23.) God’s taking too long; I'm tempted to go check out what's on the other side of the fence.

My 11-month-old grandbaby Kyla was visiting for a few days last week. Rather than remove all the pretty things, we leave some in place and teach Kyla what is a "no-no." One such item is a pretty red basket which sits on the coffee table holding all the remote controls. I saw her reach into grab an intriguing converter, and said, "Kyla, that's a no-no." She looked at me with those pools-of-blue eyes, kept staring at me, and reached for it again. In a stronger tone, I said, "No-no," and shook my head. She paused a moment, and then stretched her neck up, sticking out her little chin and looking down her nose, as if she were trying to look over the edge into the basket to get a better look at the "no-no." Her face was filled with longing as she continued to crane her neck and scoot herself around the coffee table, to view the “no-no” from another angle.

After laughing and calling her a "cutie patootie," I thought, I do that too. God tells me "no" in His Word, and I clearly know that it's for my safety and good! Yet in my flesh, I gaze longingly and even reach for the worldly things, as if hoping that they will become approved somehow, that they aren't as bad as God makes them out to be, or I try to adopt the philosophy "just ask forgiveness later."

~I just want to hold a grudge for a little while.
~My feelings are hurt, and I want to make them pay, just for awhile.
~I can't say this is helping me get closer to God, but...
~I just don't care right now.
~I just don't want to try anymore.*

* This is a certain indication that I am trying in my flesh, rather than allowing God's Spirit to work through me!

Why do I long for the things that God has said will hurt me? Why do I turn away from the Truth in His Word when I know that it is good and that His way is the best?

The enemy of my soul pounds his philosophy into me any way he can—through music, TV, magazines, books, conversations with others, etc. This is why I must hide God’s Word in my heart, “that I might not sin against [Him]” (Psalm 119:11). God’s boundaries protect me from the enemy; they don’t restrict me. Within that fence line is freedom! Freedom from fear. Freedom from destruction. Amazing freedom! True freedom!

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. (Proverbs 3:13-14, 17-18)

True happiness comes only from God. In a love relationship with Him is deep joy. God IS wisdom. It is His very Being. Just as I seek to protect Kyla by not allowing her to go near the stairs, God seeks to protect me by the limits He sets in His Word, which are “wisdom.”

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (Proverbs 3:21-24, 26)

"Contentment is the crown jewel of a happy life." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

When you know--and accept--that guidelines are truly written with your safety and best interests at heart, you can embrace the restrictions and be content with them. Yet with God, they can hardly be called restrictions! How could you say that trading a meal out of the garbage can for a steak dinner is a restriction?!

As my Kentucky friends say, “I’m just sayin’ ‘s all!”

Count It All Joy

A Little Word Study
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4)

According to Strong’s Concordance, joy is defined as a cheerful calm, delight, and gladness.

Temptation is a putting to proof (test, provoke); by implication adversity: to try.

According to these verses, I should approach the temptation to fear, for example, with a cheerful calm, knowing that it is a testing of my faith in God, and that will work patience (cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy: -- enduring, patient continuance; waiting) into my life. I like to picture it as a “working in” as in baking: when the chef works additional flour into the dough, he slowly incorporates it into the dough, working it in over a period of time. Testing works patience into my life, over time.

In addition, I am instructed by James to LET patience have a complete or mature work. Why? So I can be perfect (complete in various applications of labour, growth, mental and moral character, etc.) and entire (perfectly sound in body), wanting (or lacking) nothing!

What better or happier way of life than a cheerful calm no matter what temptation or test comes my way! Jesus prayed for me to be perfect, mature, and complete, and in His prayer, He gave the reason for His prayer.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20-23)

We are a living witness to the world when we act and live in spiritual maturity. They see that our Christianity is real when they see us go through temptations and trials and still show maturity and trust in God.
We have the assurance that our suffering will not last forever, and that God will, in maturing us, bring stability and strength to our lives. He promises to settle us.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)

God allows tests and afflictions into our lives, because He knows we need it, but He’s watching us the entire time. He never takes His eye off of us. And He also promises to build and to plant into our lives.

And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.
(Jeremiah 31:28)

In Your Word, I find my comfort,
Rest from my affliction,
Evidence of faithfulness,
Your mercy, love, and grace.
It is in my darkest midnight
That I’ve found my greatest treasure:
The assurance that You hear me, Lord,
And that You see me in this place!

(“Whispers in the Night,” by Roger Bennett)

If you’re being tested today, “lift up [your] eyes unto the hills”! (Psalm 121) God is your Help, and you can be assured that He sees you, He’s watching you, and He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

How Can I Know I’ve Learned Contentment?

Adapted from The Art of Divine Contentment, by Thomas Watson, a.d. 1620-1686

1. A contented spirit is a silent spirit. A contented person has no word to say against God. Psalm 39:9; Lam. 3:22-28

Pharaoh—“Who is the Lord?”—in other words: “Why should I suffer all this? Why should I be brought to this low condition?” —“Who is the Lord?” Ex. 5:2

Eli, when told that his house/family would be judged, did not murmur or dispute. He had a gracious heart, “It is the Lord; let Him do what He will with me.” I Sam. 3:18

Aaron's sons had offered up strange fire, and fire from the Lord devoured them. The Bible says, “Aaron held his peace.” Lev. 10:1-2

Jonah said, “I do well to be angry.” He did not display a contented spirit. Jonah 4:9

2. A contented spirit is a cheerful spirit. It is more than patience. Patience is simply submission. Contentment indicates cheerfulness. A contented Christian is more than passive. She does not only bear the cross, but she takes up the cross. She looks upon God as a wise God, and on whatever God does as a necessity to mature her into what He wants. II Cor. 12:10

3. A contented spirit is a thankful spirit. I Thess. 5:18 A gracious heart spies mercy in every condition; therefore she has her heart lifted up to thankfulness. Others will bless God for prosperity, but she blesses Him for affliction! When she is lacking something she wants or even believes she needs, she says to herself: “God sees it as better for me to lack this thing than to have it. He sees it as better for my spiritual health.” Therefore she not only submits but is thankful that God in His sovereignty knows and is doing what is best for her.

4. When a person is content, no condition of life is worth complaining about. Paul learned this. Phil. 4:11-12 “For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.”

Psalm 78:10-33—The Israelites murmured when they lacked food. When God provided it, they left His way. Maybe God had a reason for allowing their lack?

A contented spirit says, “Let God apply whatever medicine He wants, and let it stay as long as He wants, because I know that, when it has cured the disease and eaten the venom of sin out of my heart, God will take it away.”

A contented Christian, being sweetly captivated under the authority of the Word, desires to be wholly at God’s disposal, and is willing to live in that sphere and climate where God has set him.

5. She who is contented with her condition will not run into sin to get out of trouble or difficulties.

She is willing to wait for God and will not move until God opens the door.

The Israelites did not move until the pillar of cloud and fire moved. Ex. 13:21

It is good to wait on God and not to try to get out of what we consider trouble until we see God’s hand pointing a way out. Lam. 3:26

Rest, Contentment, Satisfaction, Purpose, Joy...

"It is the faith that continually closes its eyes to the weakness of the creature, and finds its joy in the sufficiency of an Almighty Saviour that makes the soul strong and glad." --Abide in Christ, by Andrew Murray

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." --John 15:4-5

Only when I recognize that "I can of mine own self do nothing" (John 5:30), and believe and claim HIS power that already lives in me, can I find true joy in Jesus.

When I choose abide in the Vine (freely yield to His Spirit--that already lives in me), I find rest, contentment, satisfaction, purpose, joy, and so much more!

Oh the struggle in my soul when I do not yield to Him. Believing in His sovereignty and believing that He IS good--His very nature is GOOD!--helps me yield.

My grandbaby Kyla is a living example. At times, she chooses to fight sleep; she is cranky and grumpy, and twists her head around as I try to feed her the bottle. She pushes at me with her arm and tries to sit up when I'm trying to rock her to sleep. Yet if I allow her to sit up, she cries because she is so tired! She just won't yield to the one who knows best for her and loves her so much!

How like her I am when I fight what God is doing in my life and refuse to surrender to Him, the One Who knows best for me and loves me so much!

"...Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." --Jeremiah 31:3

I can trust the goodness of God Who is in control of everything that is happening in my life.

Be Still

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)

After you read your Scripture for the day, take some time to sit quietly and just listen for God's voice... not an audible one... He speaks in your heart.

Psalm 46:10 tells us to "Be still and know that I am God."

Have you spent time being still lately? Take some time to bask in His presence... there is pure joy and such pleasure! Such that you can find nowhere else! Not even your husband can bring you such joy and pleasure as your Lord can! This is not to put down your man; it is to encourage him! He does not have to hold you up emotionally; it's not his job.

If you just spend time sitting in God's presence, the benefit will be yours--and the experiences are out of this world!