Hi Friends!
And to my visitors, I say welcome!
I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.
My life verse is Psalm 116:9 - And so I walk in the Lord's presence as I live here on earth.
In the Psalms, King David also wrote, "Where can I go from your presence..."
God is always in our midst, we just miss Him when we don't acknowlege Him.
Imagine walking into a crowded room, knowing that your closest and dearest friend is somewhere in the crowd. No one compares to this friend because she knows you, she understands you, she has seen all of your warts and imperfections, and she has been more loyal than anyone else in your life. She rescued you from messes you've made for yourself. She borrowed you money when you were down and out. And she constantly challenges you to learn and grow and become all you were meant to be. What a friend.
You walk into the crowded room, but instead of seeking out your friend, you simply surrender to the pressure of the masses and allow yourself to be moved this way and that, being carried along by the events of the day. Finally when you leave the room, you are exhausted, you've accomplished nothing, and your ears ring from the countless conversations that swirled all around you.
Had you only pressed through the crowds to get to your friend, your time in the room would have meant something. Your encounter with your friend would have made all the difference in the world.
Jesus provides for you. Jesus has rescued you. No one can talk Jesus out of loving you! Jesus is that friend who makes sense of everything, every day.
Read on...
We have pressure from all sides, but we must not miss out on the best of what God has for us. And when we acknowlege God's presence as we live here on earth, His quiet whisper upstages the clamor and commotion all around us.
Why are we so willing to be carried along by the pressures of the day when Jesus promised to lead us by still waters?
Why are we so willing to race through the day in a blur when Jesus promised us a heart absent of anxiety, full of peace?
Why do we settle for a dreamless existence when Jesus said we would do even greater things than He?
Blessed are those who seek hard after God, for they shall be satisfied with His presence and the things He has promised...
My heart is saddened by the countless people I have met who have settled in their wilderness and stopped hoping for something better.
Some of you have lost your fight and need a fresh dose of courage. Don't settle. Ask for courage and keep asking until you get it.
Some of you are staring at a giant, feeling certain you will be defeated. All you need is that one smooth stone, that one word of truth that will take him out. Then you will be positioned to step into your destiny. Don't let the giants in your land keep you from all God has promised you.
Others of you are just plain tired and need some rest, but feel unsure that God will provide. Know this, He will. But sometimes He asks us to run when we would rather rest, and rest when we think we should run. Trust Him, He is good.
Some of you have been drinking from cracked cisterns. In other words, you are medicating on junk rather than marinating in His presence. You might be eating too much, drinking too much, playing too many computer games, or reading too many racy novels.
These things take your time and drain your strength. You are too important to wasting your time or your energy on such things.
Ask God to stir up a divine hunger within you. Jesus will satisfy you in a way that will nourish and strengthen you.
C.S. Lewis wrote, "Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
In what areas of life do you settle? Refuse to sit down and settle! Stand up and take hold of all God has promised you. Don't give up. Get up, and march on until you possess your next place of promise.
Godly living provides blessing in this life and the life to come.
May the Lord Himself stir up a hunger within us!
Have a wonderful week and remember to pick up a copy of my new release...
Alone in Marriage: Encouragment for the Times When it's all up to You