I have not written...because I just have not had a lot to say. But maybe there is more to be said than I had thought. A friend gave me a Prayer Journal which has a Scripture passage for the week and then several sections of topics like: Reflect; Lord, thank You; Teach me; Guide me; Things on my heart. etc. And this beautiful gift from my friend has been of great help to me. It never ceases' to amaze me, how I just "Happen" to read something that was possibly chosen from Scripture years ago by a person who doesn't know anything about me or my circumstances, yet God's Spirit guided them to put THAT verse on THAT day and then, directed my "steps" to read that passage right smack in the center of my need.
I was feeling down one day last week. Being trapped in the house by several factors, one big one of which is the Coronavirus, with a moody husband for 24/7 for months on end had me feeling strangled and trapped. I confessed to my prayer journal after reading Psalm 106:1 (Praise the Lord, Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever), "I am sad and depressed. I don't much feel like giving thanks." But then I got a call from a quilter friend who said she was stopping over to drop off a lap quilt she had made for me! I was bowled over by the love of a friend and by the love of my Heavenly Friend who knew I needed some evidence that someone in the universe cared about me.
In the next day or two my husband and I were (as is very common for us) NOT feeling friendly and I was reflecting on how far astray things had fallen in the 32 years we've been married. And I returned again to Ps. 106:1 and this time, the phrase that leapt out was "His Love endures forever." Unlike earthly love which can be hurtful and disappointing and die an ugly death....GOD's love doesn't flicker or fade.
Then this past week --following a few days of peace and praise, I read the verse for the new week. Isa 43:2 (When you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.) And sure enough I was facing "heavy turbulence" in my spirit. There was another verse at the top of the next page in small print. Psalm 18:6. And when I read it, the wild beauty of the language of God's search and rescue on behalf of his beloved spoke oceans to me. In fact the poetry of that entire chapter makes it worth your trouble to go and look it up. Look it up in the NASB or the NJKV for the full effect.
Those two passages are for this week. Yesterday my laptop did cartwheels in the air and landed hard, with a crunch of plastic. And my cell phone battery is almost dead. And I need new glasses-multiple pairs with very expensive lenses. And I need dental work.... And I was feeling burdened and the sulfuric waft of smoke from Hell's fires that never go out were a stench to my nostrils and I heard the enemy's snicker as I considered my response to all of this. Both of the above passages came to my mind. I can feel the heat. But I will not be burned. This, HE has promised. My Lord HEARS my cry for help and mercy and he is "riding the wind" to come to my aid.
Thank you my generous friend ( you know who you are) for this gift of encouragement to me in this hard span of time. The future and it's challenges and fears is NOT a mystery to God. It doesn't make him the least bit nervous. "All my days were written in your book, before they came to be" (from Ps 139, I think). He brought me in and he will bring me out. Out of the fire and smoke and "into his glorious light".
I was feeling down one day last week. Being trapped in the house by several factors, one big one of which is the Coronavirus, with a moody husband for 24/7 for months on end had me feeling strangled and trapped. I confessed to my prayer journal after reading Psalm 106:1 (Praise the Lord, Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever), "I am sad and depressed. I don't much feel like giving thanks." But then I got a call from a quilter friend who said she was stopping over to drop off a lap quilt she had made for me! I was bowled over by the love of a friend and by the love of my Heavenly Friend who knew I needed some evidence that someone in the universe cared about me.
In the next day or two my husband and I were (as is very common for us) NOT feeling friendly and I was reflecting on how far astray things had fallen in the 32 years we've been married. And I returned again to Ps. 106:1 and this time, the phrase that leapt out was "His Love endures forever." Unlike earthly love which can be hurtful and disappointing and die an ugly death....GOD's love doesn't flicker or fade.
Then this past week --following a few days of peace and praise, I read the verse for the new week. Isa 43:2 (When you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.) And sure enough I was facing "heavy turbulence" in my spirit. There was another verse at the top of the next page in small print. Psalm 18:6. And when I read it, the wild beauty of the language of God's search and rescue on behalf of his beloved spoke oceans to me. In fact the poetry of that entire chapter makes it worth your trouble to go and look it up. Look it up in the NASB or the NJKV for the full effect.
Those two passages are for this week. Yesterday my laptop did cartwheels in the air and landed hard, with a crunch of plastic. And my cell phone battery is almost dead. And I need new glasses-multiple pairs with very expensive lenses. And I need dental work.... And I was feeling burdened and the sulfuric waft of smoke from Hell's fires that never go out were a stench to my nostrils and I heard the enemy's snicker as I considered my response to all of this. Both of the above passages came to my mind. I can feel the heat. But I will not be burned. This, HE has promised. My Lord HEARS my cry for help and mercy and he is "riding the wind" to come to my aid.
Thank you my generous friend ( you know who you are) for this gift of encouragement to me in this hard span of time. The future and it's challenges and fears is NOT a mystery to God. It doesn't make him the least bit nervous. "All my days were written in your book, before they came to be" (from Ps 139, I think). He brought me in and he will bring me out. Out of the fire and smoke and "into his glorious light".
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