It's Monday. It's raining. Does anyone remember the song "Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters? (I guess that shows my age!) It said that "rainy days and Mondays always get me down." Rainy days and Mondays make me want to get down in my bed!
We desperately need the rain. It will help boost our water supply in this year of drought. There were streams of yellow liquid flowing along the sidewalk, so thankfully the rain is washing the pollen away. That should make our noses and throats feel better. Flower gardeners and farmers are sure to appreciate the steady showers for their thirsty plants.
Hmmm. Are you experiencing your own type of "drought"? Do you feel like you are in the middle of a wilderness, a wasteland, or desert? Is there something lingering on the surfaces of your heart that needs washing away? Is there something that you are thirsting for? Some emptiness that just needs filling?
You know, we must turn to the only One who can meet our needs. No matter what we are going through, He is the God who sees. (Gen. 16:13) He sees our circumstances. He loves us unfailingly and desires to reveal that love to us wherever we are. He is the only One who can lead us out of wilderness and back into fertile land.
If there is residue that needs to be washed away, His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) to overcome our failings, to work in spite of our weaknesses, to cleanse our sin.
What leaves you thirsty, longing? You know, Jesus is famous for filling empty pitchers. Only He can truly satisfy our deepest desires. We may look for other substitutes. We may actually believe that something or someone else can fulfill our needs. But God created us with a void that only He can fill. He knows and loves us. He wants us to know and love Him.
Lord, "You are my God. Earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Ps 53:1) Scripture says that You forgive all my sins, heal all my diseases, that You redeem my life from the pit. Your Word tells me that You crown me with love and compassion, and that You satisfy my desires with good things. (Ps 103:2-5) Help me to allow You to shower me with Your love, even to be filled up to overflowing.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Still Sweating and Heart Pounding!
Yes, my hands, feet, and knees are still sweating! Yes, I headed to my bedroom and hit the floor! As I prayed my heart was beating wildly in my chest. I immediately turned that into prayer and yielded my heart to Him. As I write this, the words of a song come to mind..."Lord, I give you my heart. I give you my soul. I live for you alone. Every step that I take, every moment I'm awake, Lord have Your way in me." That is my prayer...to be totally yielded to Him, with every single step I take. I want Him to hem me in! I want Him to go before me and behind me, and not let me take one step, not even one inch away from His will!
Well, this blog (okay, not the blog actually...remember, that is an "illogical connection"...but writing) is an act of obedience. Probably - no surely - obedience long overdue. Thank you, Lord, for your unending patience with me! It is really quite comical that God would call me to write. I'm not an English major. I'm not particularly eloquent. I'm terrified...well, that may be a strong word, but quite afraid of computers! (And justly so, as I lost a portion of this post after this monstrous red line appeared at the top of the page with large white letters reading ERROR! Then something started flashing at the bottom of the screen saying "Autosave Failed!!" Have you heard the acronym that fear is False Evidence Appearing Real? Well, this evidence was real!) But you know, as I wrote the words stating my lack of qualifications and the heights of my fear, God reminded me of Moses' words, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent...I am slow of speech and tongue." (Ex. 3:10-12) The Lord said, "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." As I "take off my sandals" and approach this "holy ground" (Ex.3:5, Joshua 5:15), I am comforted by the Lord's words to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9). I'm drawn to the words in 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31, "...think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world...the weak things of the world....He chose the lowly things of this world...so that him who boast[s] boasts in the Lord." I am surely foolish, weak, and lowly. Whatever may come from this feeble attempt at obedience is all because of Him.
What is God calling you to do? Are you following Him in obedience? Are you afraid? Do you have doubt? Pour your heart out to Him. Seek Him through His Word. He will lead you. It's a promise.
Lord, in John 15:16, Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last." Make me worthy of that calling. Cleanse my heart. Empty me of everything that's me and fill me up with YOU. Lead me completely and surely. Do not let me go to the right or to the left, but to walk diligently on the path that you have laid out. "Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." (Psalm 143:8)
Well, this blog (okay, not the blog actually...remember, that is an "illogical connection"...but writing) is an act of obedience. Probably - no surely - obedience long overdue. Thank you, Lord, for your unending patience with me! It is really quite comical that God would call me to write. I'm not an English major. I'm not particularly eloquent. I'm terrified...well, that may be a strong word, but quite afraid of computers! (And justly so, as I lost a portion of this post after this monstrous red line appeared at the top of the page with large white letters reading ERROR! Then something started flashing at the bottom of the screen saying "Autosave Failed!!" Have you heard the acronym that fear is False Evidence Appearing Real? Well, this evidence was real!) But you know, as I wrote the words stating my lack of qualifications and the heights of my fear, God reminded me of Moses' words, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent...I am slow of speech and tongue." (Ex. 3:10-12) The Lord said, "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." As I "take off my sandals" and approach this "holy ground" (Ex.3:5, Joshua 5:15), I am comforted by the Lord's words to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9). I'm drawn to the words in 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31, "...think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world...the weak things of the world....He chose the lowly things of this world...so that him who boast[s] boasts in the Lord." I am surely foolish, weak, and lowly. Whatever may come from this feeble attempt at obedience is all because of Him.
What is God calling you to do? Are you following Him in obedience? Are you afraid? Do you have doubt? Pour your heart out to Him. Seek Him through His Word. He will lead you. It's a promise.
Lord, in John 15:16, Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last." Make me worthy of that calling. Cleanse my heart. Empty me of everything that's me and fill me up with YOU. Lead me completely and surely. Do not let me go to the right or to the left, but to walk diligently on the path that you have laid out. "Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." (Psalm 143:8)
Saturday, March 29, 2008
With Fear and Sweating...no Trembling
Oswald Chambers says, "Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections." Amen! And I must admit, the blog world, for me, once seemed the most illogical connection. There was a time that I spoke the words, "Blogs are from satan." (I refuse to capitalize his name.) I've wised up since then, as I'm a frequent guest on the blogs of some of my dearest friends and Spiritual heroes. So here goes!
As I approached the computer, I noticed that my hands, my feet, and my knees were sweating. Yes, my knees! I was thinking, "What's up with that?" Do knees sweat? I figured that must be a sign to hit my knees in prayer! Oswald's verse for today was Luke 12:40, "Be ye therefore ready also." I knew that He was the only One who could make me ready for this venture! I headed for my bedroom, got on my sweaty knees, raised my sweaty hands and praised my precious Lord. I kept those hands up as I yielded them to Him...to use as He sees fit, to equip as only He can...and to dry if He so chooses, so that my hands don't slide off the keys of the computer. I prayed that He would draw me again and again to my knees...through sweating if necessary...to "Seek Him first" (Matt. 6:33) before I even attempt to write one word. I prayed that my sweaty feet would be "fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace," (Eph. 6:15) so that the good news of His amazing, unfailing love may be shared wherever He chooses to take me. I appreciated that God reminded me of His peace. I'm going to hold on to that!!
Whew! I feel finished! Was that enough? I'm so verbose that I could go on and on with personal ramblings...2 weddings in one year, our China Doll getting baptized Easter Sunday, exciting writing opportunities on the horizon...but I'll save that for later. I think I need a nap or maybe a shower!
Oh Lord, I am Yours. This blog is Yours. Use me and every word typed here to bring glory and honor to Your Name. Your grace is truly amazing. I am humbled that you would choose me.
PS Rachel, Carrie, Evie, and Cayce, read "humbled" right!
As I approached the computer, I noticed that my hands, my feet, and my knees were sweating. Yes, my knees! I was thinking, "What's up with that?" Do knees sweat? I figured that must be a sign to hit my knees in prayer! Oswald's verse for today was Luke 12:40, "Be ye therefore ready also." I knew that He was the only One who could make me ready for this venture! I headed for my bedroom, got on my sweaty knees, raised my sweaty hands and praised my precious Lord. I kept those hands up as I yielded them to Him...to use as He sees fit, to equip as only He can...and to dry if He so chooses, so that my hands don't slide off the keys of the computer. I prayed that He would draw me again and again to my knees...through sweating if necessary...to "Seek Him first" (Matt. 6:33) before I even attempt to write one word. I prayed that my sweaty feet would be "fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace," (Eph. 6:15) so that the good news of His amazing, unfailing love may be shared wherever He chooses to take me. I appreciated that God reminded me of His peace. I'm going to hold on to that!!
Whew! I feel finished! Was that enough? I'm so verbose that I could go on and on with personal ramblings...2 weddings in one year, our China Doll getting baptized Easter Sunday, exciting writing opportunities on the horizon...but I'll save that for later. I think I need a nap or maybe a shower!
Oh Lord, I am Yours. This blog is Yours. Use me and every word typed here to bring glory and honor to Your Name. Your grace is truly amazing. I am humbled that you would choose me.
PS Rachel, Carrie, Evie, and Cayce, read "humbled" right!
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